Waiting
by Jane Poirot
Summary: For seven years, she watched others fall in love, waiting for her love to return. One day, in February 1989, the waiting paid off.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Higurashi does not belong to me in any way whatsoever. Inspiration for this fic came after watching Episode 23 of **_**Kai**_** when Shion learns of Satoshi's fate—so sad.**

1

_The blue-haired girl lay on the wooden floor, her eyes wide, her body jerking in the dim light. Shion stood above her, smirking. Served the little brat right for not only trying to kill her, but for helping in spiriting Satoshi-kun away._

_Rika used the wall to support her weight as she stood up, still jerking and struggling. Vengeance pumping through her veins, Shion laughed, "Hilarious! You're cracking me up over here! Let's see how much longer it'll take for you to die."_

_The malicious smile on her face grew. "Ah," she said, "but if I let that happen, I'll miss out on the fun of torturing you." She was beginning to doubt Rika would die anyway; if she was going to die, it would've happened seconds ago. At the very least, it would leave her incapacitated._

"_All right, I've decided," declared Shion. "Let's change the stage to the Fun-Fun Underground Torture Chamber."_

_She began to laugh, thinking she had the advantage over Rika—then stopped when she saw Rika slowly turn around. She reached for a knife with her twitching yet gradually stable hand and picked it up. She turned to Shion with a determined, fierce look in her eyes._

_Shion smirked. "Oh? You still have some strength?" She laughed as Rika began to head off, "Well, it'd be no fun if you didn't. I've been dying to give your fingers joints a little lesson in carpentry, so you should stay up."_

_Rika stopped walking, her back turned to Shion. "Unfortunately, I have to turn that lesson down," she said in a voice far more adult than Shion had ever heard from a girl like Rika before. Rika looked over her shoulder and added, "You damned sadist."_

_Shion laughed and walked to face opposite Rika. If a fight was what she wanted, so be it. She said, "Ah, now that's more like how the Furude head should act. You seem to be a little under the weather. If all you can do is stand up...then how can you resist?"_

_Rika said in the same, adult tone, "True. Just like you said, this is all I can do." Her pupils contracted and she concluded, "But if you're going to put on a show of torturing me...sorry, but I'd rather leave the stage."_

_Shion laughed, "Leave? If you can, then do it!" Did this brat really think she was going to get away that easy?"_

_Rika pointed the knife at Shion, as though she were about to attack. Shion turned on her taser, prepared for whatever Rika had coming her way._

_To her surprise, Rika braced the knife's handle against the wall. Surprise bestowed her even more when Rika began butting her head against the knife. A smile twitched across Shion's face as Rika continued to thrust her head on the knife before finally collapsing. Shion let out a maniacal laugh upon laugh upon laugh..._

* * *

Shion gasped and her eyes shot open. She lay in bed, feeling her heart pound against her chest. Her eyes grew accustomed to the dark and she curled up into a ball, trembling. Recently, dreams like this were becoming more and more common for her. She used to have them an awful lot as she entered university, but they eventually went away. She _thought_ she had put them behind her...until now.

There was a knock on the door. "Kasai," muttered Shion, knowing what he was here for. She closed her eyes and pretended to just be waking up as the door opened, pouring a bit of light in. She yawned and sat up in bed. "Kasai?" she said.

"It's six o'clock," explained Kasai, his dark hair neatly combed for the occasion Shion was to prepare for. "You should be getting dressed in a few minutes. Then it's off to Mion's."

"Thanks," said Shion, getting out of bed. "But I can wake myself up now, Kasai. I just forgot to set my alarm, that's all."

"But of course," said Kasai apologetically. He closed the door, to give Shion some privacy to get changed. Shion wandered across the room to the day-by-day page calendar on her dresser. She tore off a page and sighed at the date presented before her: February 19, 1989.

The day her sister would be getting married.

* * *

A few hours later, Shion was attaching a white hood to Mion's kimono, which was as white as the first fallen snow.

"I can't be nervous," said Mion, taking in a few deep breaths to calm herself down. "It's my wedding day. I've been waiting for this for _years._ And it's _Keiichi—_how can I be nervous?"

"I was the same way when I married Kiyoshi," said Rena, looking up from the pink sock she was knitting to pass the time. "But you know what?" She rubbed her belly happily. "It was worth it."

Shion tried not to let the sting of envy she felt get to her as she at the two women. In university, Mion and Keiichi had finally gotten past their stubborn pride and began to have a romantic relationship (after something of an awkward start when Keiichi loudly shouted across campus he wanted to take Mion out to Angel Mort), all leading up to this day. Rena herself had met a nice yet quiet man by the name of Kiyoshi Abukara, whom she married during her third year of university; now, nearly two years later, she was expecting her first child and quite ecstatic over finally being able to take something cute home—and be able to truly call it her own.

And as for Shion..._her_ beloved Satoshi was lying in a hospital bed in the basement of the Irie Clinic, unconscious for at least seven or eight years now, having nearly succumbed to Level 5 of Hinimizawa syndrome and needing sedation to keep him stable. Needless to say, she was just a bit resentful of the others around her. Rika and Satoko, despite having grown up to be real beauties, had yet to find love, but she knew it wouldn't be long before they did. Hell, even Kasai had found someone special.

Time and time again, Shion had been told by Mion to let go of Satoshi, that she couldn't just wait around for him all her life. She had tried to move on and find other men...and yet, the hope that a cure for Hinimizawa syndrome would finally be discovered, the hope that Satoshi would awaken and come back to her lingered in her mind. And so she continued to stop by the clinic once a week to read to him, hoping that somehow her words would cure him.

"Hey, Shion."

Shion looked up and saw Mion's pure white face. Even through the paint, her smile could still be identifiable. "Satoshi on your mind?" she said.

Shion nodded. "It's just so hard," she admitted. "I keep hoping he'll wake up every day, and he might, right? Dr. Irie said the cure's nearly developed."

"How about this—if Satoshi does not wake up by the time we're twenty-five, _then_ you can move on and find someone special," suggested Mion. "How does that sound?"

"I guess that's okay," said Shion slowly. Then, more assuredly, she said, "No. I _will_ try to move on if absolutely _nothing_ has happened by then."

"That's the spirit," said Mion, giving Shion a pat on the back. She stood up and said, "Well, we'd better get ready."

* * *

Dr. Irie stood above the bed of Satoshi Houjou, feeling the burden of grief on his shoulders. Poor Satoshi...he had been such a bright, brilliant boy. He had done nothing to deserve this. Why did it always have to be the nicest people in Hinamizawa who were affected the worse by this? _Why?_

Dr. Irie sighed and placed one hand on Satoshi's forehead. The cure for Hinamizawa syndrome had _finally_ been developed that morning. After years of slaving over it, trying to find the precise cure, it had been developed. And after seeing the look in Shion's eyes after learning of her beloved's fate, Dr. Irie had resolved to make Satoshi the first person to be given the vaccine.

He withdrew the syringe from its case. He was both ecstatic and hesitant. The side effects were unknown, as it was still very new. What if the worse came of it? What if it only made Satoshi crazier and he ended up clawing out his own throat?

"_He is never going to pat my head anymore?"_

Dr. Irie wielded the syringe. He was prepared the worse. Should it backfire...

He dabbed Satoshi's left arm with alcohol. He took careful aim...

_Satoko's smile...it had been a while since she last smiled...God, what he would do to get her to smile again..._

And injected it deep into his arm.

* * *

"_Nii-nii!"_

"_Satoko!"_

_The two ran through the forest, happy and carefree. They did not hear the sounds of a vicious couple barking at them, nor did they hear angry words of hate being carelessly tossed their way. No, they heard the sound of cicadas crying, and of their own laughter._

_The two fell over and laughed. Satoshi gave Satoko a hug and held her close. "Hey," he said. "I have a surprise for you."_

_He began to reach for the teddy bear he had been hiding in the bushes..._

* * *

Right there, the dream ended. Satoshi slowly opened his eyes. Everything around him was blurry, not quite having a clear shape...

"Satoshi?"

A familiar voice called out. The world around him began to take shape. He now had a clear image of a smiling Dr. Irie standing above him. "Satoshi," he said, smiling. "How do you feel?"

"I," said Satoshi slowly, "feel...okay." Suddenly, the world did not seem like such a dangerous place out to get him and Satoko. He now felt much more content and at peace.

Dr. Irie seemed to be a bit cautious as he began to undo the straps holding Satoshi down. "What am I doing here?" asked Satoshi, now curious. "How long have I been out for?"

"About seven years, give or take," replied Dr. Irie.

"Seven _years,"_ muttered Satoshi, slowly sitting up. He rubbed his head...it was coming back to him now...his aunt...that girl who claimed to be Mion's twin...Satoko...the bear...

"The bear!" exclaimed Satoshi, who leaped out of bed just as the straps around his ankles were undone. "Satoko! She doesn't have it yet! Where is it—a-ha!"

He dashed towards the bear and slung it over his shoulders. "Slow down, Satoshi," chuckled Dr. Irie. "You have to get dressed first."

"Oh, right," said Satoshi quickly, putting the bear down on the floor. "Where is Satoko?"

Dr. Irie, hoping this would bring happiness to both Shion and Satoko, gladly replied, "At a wedding. Would you like me to take you there later tonight?"

Satoshi fervently nodded, glad to be back to Hinamizawa.


	2. Chapter 2

2

The shrine was dimly lit with decorative lights that shined off both families facing each other as Mion and Keiichi exchanged the vows that would bind them. Shion could tell her grandmother was not the slightest bit happy about having to stare in the faces of the parents of a supposed 'outsider' her granddaughter was marrying—it had taken a bit of convincing to get her to realize Keiichi had lived in Hinamizawa long enough to be a true villager.

_Would grandma approve of Satoshi and I being together?_ Shion thought with a start. _Since I repented for what I said by removing my fingernails, would that make everything okay? _She felt strange as she thought this, feeling as though she had been told this somewhere before.

Shion looked around the shrine. On the wooden floor sat the members of the Great Houses. In the middle row, Rika and Satoko could be seen, looking quite solemn. For the occasion, Rika's hair had been tied up in a bun. Satoko's blonde hair had grown out nicely and lay on her shoulders. Satoko had grown more independent in recent years, on her way to becoming a beautiful woman.

She looked over to the bride and groom exchanging vows. In contrast to Mion's white kimono, Keiichi was wearing a traditional black kimono. His usually messy brown hair had been combed back for the occasion, but it made him look a little funny. He still had the same spirit from seven years ago. Almost the same spirit as...

Shion looked away and straight ahead. She was going to visit Satoshi tomorrow. Maybe that would make her feel better.

* * *

"Are you _sure_ I'm dressed right?" asked Satoshi, who was wearing a midnight black kimono. Dr. Irie hadn't changed out of his doctor clothes and had decided to walk Satoshi to the ceremony.

"Of course you are," said Dr. Irie gently. "Do you need any help carrying that bear?"

"No, it's okay," said Satoshi, who was carrying the bear on his back. "I can do it myself."

It wasn't too cold for a February night, though it was a bit windy. There was a light snowfall that left behind vague footprints with each step.

"How's Satoko?" Satoshi finally asked.

"She's...doing well, actually," replied Dr. Irie. "She has matured quite a bit since you last saw her, and is now an independent, capable young woman."

"Oh, right," said Satoshi, looking down at the sidewalk. "She would be sixteen by now. She'll be seventeen in June. Part of me wants to wait until then to give her this bear." He pulled it up a bit further over his shoulders and grunted. "But she's going to see me with the bear anyway, right?"

"Right," nodded Dr. Irie.

"Have things changed much since I was, well, out?" asked Satoshi. "Is there still that Oyashiro-curse?"

"Not anymore," said Dr. Irie, who shook his head, deciding not to go into the full story behind it until later. "That little...incident...with your aunt was the last."

"How are the other girls doing?" asked Satoshi.

"Rika, like Satoko, is now full-grown and mature beyond her years," explained Dr. Irie. The sidewalk was beginning to wind just around a corner. "Rena is now married and expecting her first child—she's around nineteen weeks."

"Does she still have that obsession with cute things?" said Satoshi, grinning at the memory of Rena's insistence on taking anything grotesque that wasn't even vaguely cute home with her.

"You know what they say," said Dr. Irie with a matching grin. "Old habits die hard. Her obsession isn't quite as bad as it was years ago, but Rena still has her moments. It won't be long before she starts shopping for baby outfits. She'll drive the store owners into bankruptcy then!"

Satoshi laughed. Then he said thoughtfully, "What about the twins? I only found out Mion had a twin sister right before...her name was Shion. Are they doing okay?"

"Well, the wedding ceremony we're heading off to is none other than Mion's herself," said Dr. Irie in an almost proud tone.

"That's great!" exclaimed Satoshi. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"Keiichi Maebara," replied Dr. Irie. "He moved in a year after you went to the hospital. He and Mion grew closer over the years until they got to where they are now."

"And...Shion?" asked Satoshi. He hadn't known Shion very well, yet there was a part of him that wanted to learn what had become of her.

"She...gets by," said Dr. Irie slowly. "I took her to your room one day and she was pretty heartbroken. Ever since that day, she stopped by once a week to read to you by your bedside. She cared about you a great deal."

"Oh," said Satoshi. He paused before asking, "Has she taken care of Satoko? Do they get along now?"

"Oh yes, quite well," nodded Dr. Irie. "Shion has been intensely protective of Satoko as though she were her own sister. In return, Satoko has come to call Shion her 'nee-nee'. Even now, they still have a close relationship and meet up for lunch at Angel Mort once a week."

This strongly contrasted Satoshi's memory of Shion terrorizing poor Satoko. Well, maybe she had just been having a bad day. "Does she still work at Angel Mort?"

"Yes, but she's been working there less and less in recent years," explained Dr. Irie. "She had to cut down on her time because of exams in college, and has gotten used to having free time on her hands now."

"Oh," said Satoshi. He and Dr. Irie crossed the street up ahead, one step closer to their destination.

* * *

The wedding reception occurred at around seven o'clock that night. The guests gathered at the Sonozaki estate to celebrate such an occasion first with a dance, and then with a toast to the bride and groom.

"Oh Mion, you look _soooo _cute!" squealed Rena as Mion came into the yard wearing a scarlet kimono with yellow lining. "I want to—ahem," she quickly added, blushing. She was _trying _to snap out of the habit...but was it her fault everything was just so darn cute?

"Take me home?" finished Mion. "Sure, but I think Keiichi would be _very_ upset." She nudged Keiichi in the ribs and said, "Eh, Keiichi-kun?"

"Well, maybe not," said Keiichi with a mischievous grin on his face. "Then _maybe_ we won't have to take those cards with us, and _maybe_ I won't have to suffer some sort of humiliating punishment game at your hands!"

"Now, Keiichi-kun," purred Mion, "you know I've grown out of those immature habits. Besides," a naughty grin spread across her face, "I would have my _own_ punishment games to inflict on you, if you know what I mean."

"Mii-chan!" gasped Satoko. Then she laughed, "Oh, but look on the bright side, Keiichi; at least I won't be there to ruin your honeymoon by setting up all sorts of traps!"

"True, true," mused Keiichi.

Rika spoke: "It's quite nice out for a February night, isn't it?"

"It sure is," said Shion quietly, wondering which book to read to Satoshi tomorrow. She wondered if he would like a nice, light comedy. Or maybe just a plain, old-fashioned childhood tale.

"Why are you so sad, Shion?" asked Satoko, looking worried. "This is supposed to be a happy occasion, right?"

"Right," nodded Shion, slowly bringing a smile to her face. The only people who knew about Satoshi were Mion, Shion, and Dr. Irie. Shion had been told to keep this a secret from Satoko, whose heart would surely break if she knew the truth.

"So," said Shion, "is it just about time for the toast, do you think?"

* * *

Ten minutes later, everyone went to another section of the garden for the toasts to take place. The atmosphere was serene and peaceful. Not a single thought of evil entered anyone's mind, nor a thought of displeasure. No, the focus was entirely on the happiness of the young married couple standing before them.

Shion was first up to raise her cold glass with one hand. "People say the one you are the closest too is the one you have known since birth," she began. "But in my case, Mion was the one I had known since _before_ birth. We have been through everything together. Our greatest prides, our greatest shames, our happiness, and our sorrow. And while I may not be getting married on this day, I wish Mion the best of luck."

She raised her glass further. "To the bride and..."

She stopped. She saw two silhouettes in the moonlight walking towards the wedding party, one standing upright, the other slightly hunched. She cleared her throat and once again declared, "To the bride and the..."

She did not stop. She _froze._ The two figures had come closer and were now clearly visible. One of them was a proud-looking Dr. Irie. The other was none other than a teddy-bear wielding...

"Satoshi," whispered Shion, placing her glass down on the table.

Everyone turned to the two people walking further towards them. They gasped and muttered amongst themselves. "Everyone," declared Dr. Irie, "I would like to announce Satoshi Houjou has returned to us."

There was even more whispering. Satoko's eyes widened and she could only let out a small cry as the brother whom she was beginning to doubt would ever return marched up to her. Satoshi smiled and slung the bear off his shoulders. "I meant to give this to you on your birthday," said Satoshi sheepishly, placing the bear in Satoko's arms. "But I got a bit delayed."

In that moment, Satoko lost all sense of dignity and maturity. She wrapped her arms around Satoshi, the teddy bear wedged between them, crying out, _"Nii-niiii!"_ She sobbed tears of relief, allowing Satoshi to just hold her as she cried.

Shion was trembling. Satoshi..._here...and awake..._it was too overwhelming for her to bear. When she was sure no one was watching, she ran off, leaving behind a tearful reunion between brother and sister.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Shion ran through the snow, the sound of her heartbeat echoing in her ears. How could this be _happening?_ Was this real? Was she dreaming? No—this felt very, very real.

She stopped running to catch her breath. She was on the path that narrowed around the lake of the Sonozaki estate. A bit further than she thought, but oh well. Now she would have time to _think._

Had Dr. Irie found a cure? Well obviously, he must have; otherwise, Satoshi would not be here. But still...to think that this was happening just when she thought Satoshi would _never_ wake up...

Shion squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the wounds of her heart healing at a very painful pace. Satoshi...the boy whom she had lost three fingernails for...the boy whom she had several dreams of committing murder for...was back. And she wasn't as delighted as she thought she'd be.

"What if he doesn't _like_ me?" muttered Shion, burying her face in her hands. "What if Dr. Irie made a mistake? What if Satoshi gets to know me and thinks I'm a horrible person...all because of...those _dreams..."_

She wasn't sure if she really could call them 'dreams'. They felt too vivid and too intense to just be horrific nightmares. It was as though they had actually _happened,_ like she was going through a scrapbook of memories.

But it was ridiculous—if she had never actually killed anyone in real life, why should she remember killing anyone at all? She just couldn't get her head around that. Trying to sort out the logic behind it made her head hurt.

A memory buried deep in her heart began to surface...she was in the basement of the Sonozaki estate, at the edge of a well...she was reaching out to a shadow of Satoshi...

"_I'm sorry, Satoshi-kun...I'm sorry!"_

"_You don't need to apologize. Shion, you haven't done anything wrong."_

"_Satoshi-kun...I'll go, too, and then we'll be together! I'm going to jump, so hold me Satoshi-kun!"_

Shion lifted up her head sharply at the sound of footsteps. She opened her eyes but looked away. She looked across the reflective pool of ice, ready to deal with Mion asking her to come back.

"I remember you, Shion."

Shion felt her stomach churn, but she made herself turn in Satoshi's direction. He smiled lightly. "You switched places with Mion for a while, correct?"

"Er...yes," said Shion slowly, mentally telling her knees to stay still. She looked into Satoshi's eyes, those beautiful eyes. "I'm sorry again for deceiving you."

"Eh, what did I tell you," said Satoshi, giving Shion a light pat on the head, the same pat that sent shivers down her spine. "I thought Mion was acting a _bit_ strange. Her having a twin was the only reasonable explanation. It's all cool."

There was an awkward silence between them for about five seconds before Satoshi said, "So...how have you been these past few years?"

"Well," said Shion slowly, "I'm still working at Angel Mort, but less now. I might look for work elsewhere, but I'm not sure just what I want to do just yet. The only thing that's remotely interesting to me is catering weddings. I'm also thinking maybe I could help my uncle with his business." She paused before saying, "I missed you, Satoshi."

"I know," said Satoshi. "Dr. Irie told me you stopped by the clinic to visit me once a week."

Shion felt her face turn the colour of the first cherry blossoms of spring. "Really?" she said. "He told you that? Well, um...I was worried about you."

Satoshi smiled. "Thanks for the thought." He then said, "I remember this nurse from before I went to the clinic—her name was Takano. She used to help out Dr. Irie. Whatever happened to her?"

"Oh," said Shion, feeling more awkward than she had been feeling a few minutes ago. If she tried explaining the _entire _story about Miyo Takano, the two would still be here the next morning! How to sum it all up...

"Well," said Shion slowly, searching for the right words, "Takano was diagnosed with Hinamizawa Syndrome a few years ago and, like you, spent nearly the rest of her life in the clinic."

"Wait, the rest of her _life?"_ said Satoshi sharply. "Is she _dead?"_

"Well, she was released from the clinic a few months ago, back in November of 1988," explained Shion. "But three days after she was released, there was this story on the news about how she was found in her apartment. She killed herself, you see—she shot herself through the head."

"Oh," said Satoshi, surprised. "Does anyone know _why?"_

"No one really knows for sure," said Shion, who was a bit perplexed by it herself. "She left a note behind, but it wasn't shown on the news because no one understood what it meant. People say she still had Hinamizawa syndrome which might have driven her to take her life, that the worse symptoms came back and it was too late for her to be treated, but there was just one thing that didn't make sense with that theory: When people afflicted with the illness reach Level 5, they claw their throats out. They don't take a gun and shoot themselves."

"Why do people think she still had Hinamizawa Syndrome?"

"Because apparently, the note suggested she was suffering from delusions. Again, no one really knows for sure what it meant."

"Oh," said Satoshi. He then said, "So, how's Rena enjoying her pregnancy?"

"She's _really_ happy," said Shion, pushing aside her smallest twinge of envy. "She's going to start shopping for things for the baby soon."

"Oh." Satoshi quickly added, "Sorry if I'm saying 'oh' so much."

"You didn't say it _that_ often," said Shion. She cleared her throat. "Well...Satoko's doing fine, in case you want to know."

"I can see that," nodded Satoshi. "She's not a little girl anymore. She's grown up a lot." He smiled. "You did a great job taking care of her, Shion."

"Yeah," said Shion, blushing even further. "I...I guess I did." Maybe those dreams about torturing Satoko really were just dreams after all...

"It's too bad we only knew each other for a few days before I had to go," said Satoshi. "I would have liked to know you more. You might have been a great friend."

An idea came to Shion's mind: "You know, Mion asked me to look after our grandmother while she and Keiichi are on their honeymoon—she's been sick a lot lately, but she still has her bite."

"I know!" laughed Satoshi. "While Satoko was hugging me, I snuck a look at your grandmother's face—at least, I _assumed_ that was her. She looked like she wanted to strangle me."

"That would be her all right!" laughed Shion. "She might not approve of this suggestion, but maybe you could help me look after grandma? Or maybe _I_ could look after her and _you_ could help around the house?"

"Well, if it's okay with her, I might be able to do that," said Satoshi.

The two seemed to run out of things to talk about. They stood there in the moonlight, feeling awkward. Finally, Shion said, "So...want to go back for cake?"

* * *

In the midst of celebration, Rika stood in the shadows, watching solemnly as the guests discussed the mysterious return of Satoshi Houjou. "So," she said, "Satoshi has returned."

Whispered the voice of Hanyuu's spirit, "What could this mean?"

"Oh, I think it's perfectly innocent enough," shrugged Rika. "I can sense everyone's relief. Satoko and Shion, especially."

She looked over to her smiling friend, who was holding the bear to her chest tightly, as though it was going to run away from her. "Satoko looks happier tonight than she has ever looked in a long time."

"And Shion?" inquired Hanyuu.

"Shion is happy," said Rika. She paused before saying. "But something is holding her back. I saw it in her eyes when Satoshi returned: She loves him, and wants more than anything to be with him now that he's back. But...I think she might still have memories of the one world where she committed those atrocious murders."

She looked over at Satoshi and Shion returning to the wedding party, each looking happy yet a tad uncomfortable. "But she will forget in time," said Rika. "If not...let's help her, Hanyuu. Help her to avoid the same fate as Takano."


	4. Chapter 4

4

Shion stood outside the bedroom door of her grandmother, Oryou. The two had never been on close terms—all her life, Shion had been viewed as a burden to the Sonozaki family. It was considered a bad omen to have twin heirs, after all. And as if being the younger twin wasn't bad enough, she had declared her love for Satoshi to the entire family, boldly stating the family name meant nothing to her. Even after repenting for it, the tension was still evident. The two were on speaking terms, but they weren't very close, relationship-wise.

Shion lightly knocked on the door. "Grandma?" she said. "It's me, Shion. I'll be taking care of you for a few days until Mion and Keiichi get back."

There was a pause on the other side before Oryou stiffly replied, "I'm feeling just fine today."

Shion knew that "just fine" really meant "stiff and sore", judging by the few times she witnessed Mion and Keiichi looking after Oryou together. Still, knowing her grandmother was too proud to admit this, she simply said, "Well, just call me if you need anything."

There was a knock on the door. Shion's heart leapt up—_Satoshi._

"Eh? Who's at the door?" said Oryou's voice.

"I'll get it," said Shion quickly as she ran down the hall, down the stairs, and made a mad dash for the door. She opened it and sure enough, there was Satoshi standing there with that smile of his.

"Hey, Shion," said Satoshi, lightly patting Shion on the head.

"Uh, hi," said Shion, smiling back, realizing she had been clutching onto the boards a little tightly. She led him inside by the hand and closed the door behind him. "Listen," she said in a quiet voice, "my grandma doesn't know you're here, and we have to keep it that way. So when you're helping me around the house, you have to be _quiet."_

"Shion?" called out Oryou. "Who's there?"

"Just a friend, grandma," called out Shion. She then said, "Grandma? It's just about lunchtime—is there anything you'd like me to make for you?"

"Yes," said Oryou gruffly. "Some ohagi would be nice."

"Okay, coming right up," said Shion. She turned to Satoshi and said, "I know it's not really _lunch-_lunch, but when she wants something, it's best not to argue with her."

"Hmm," said Satoshi thoughtfully. "I wonder if maybe she would also like some Kare Raisu?"

"She said she only wanted ohagi," said Shion.

"Well, she might get hungry later," shrugged Satoshi. "Better to give her too much than too little, right?"

"I guess," sighed Shion. "The only problem is, I don't know how to make Kare Raisu—I mean, I've seen Kasai prepare it for me a few times; it's basically just cooked rice with curry sauce. Except I don't know _how_ to make sauces, and I wouldn't know just how the rice should be and—"

"It's okay," said Satoshi, once again patting Shion on the head. "I know how to make it."

"You do?" said Shion, surprised.

"Yeah," said Satoshi. "Follow me to the kitchen and I'll show you how."

* * *

Nearly two hours later, Satoshi was waiting for Shion in the living room when she came right back. "Grandma loved it," she said, sitting next to Satoshi.

"I'm glad to hear that," said Satoshi. "I love to cook."

"I didn't know that," said Shion.

"Well, when my parents were still alive, I would help them with dinner," explained Satoshi. "And on the few nights Aunt and Uncle left the house, I would make dinner for Satoko, or I would offer to make dinner in her place so she wouldn't get yelled at."

"That's nice," said Shion, shifting her feet awkwardly, looking back on her treatment of Satoko the first day they had met. "I like doing a bit of cooking, too. I'm not an extremely good chef, but I did good enough to get myself by on the nights Kasai wasn't at home."

"Who is this Kasai you speak of?" asked Satoshi.

"Oh," said Shion, looking down. "He's a friend of my father. He's kind of been my caregiver ever since I left boarding school."

"You went to boarding school?" said Satoshi, clearly impressed. "What was that like?"

"Boring," sighed Shion. "It was always either "salutation" or "have a good day", and I wasn't allowed to call my teachers 'sister'. Then I had to attend the Sunday ceremony, studying the Bible. It was driving me _crazy."_

"If you hated it so much, why did you go there?" asked Satoshi.

"I didn't really have a _choice,"_ said Shion, recalling the cold look she had received from her grandmother as she headed off to boarding school, not once bothering to let out so much as a "goodbye". "Mion was sent off to live with my grandmother to learn to become the next heir. I was sent off to live at boarding school." She sighed and shook her head. "I was always viewed as a burden to my family."

"What about your parents?" asked Satoshi. "Didn't they say something?"

Shion shook her head. "My grandmother didn't approve of the man my mother married. My parents and my Onibaba—I mean, _grandmother_—have been estranged for many, many years. They didn't exactly have a say in the matter."

"Oh," said Satoshi uncomfortably. "That's...too bad. My grandparents died when I was little, so I never really knew what their relationship with my parents were like."

This time, Shion didn't let the awkward silence that followed last _too_ long: "Did you go by the Irie Clinic this morning? The line-up was _huge._"

"I know!" exclaimed Satoshi. "Ever since that cure for Hinamizawa Syndrome was announced on TV last night, just about _everyone_ is lining up to get tested and cured! Do you think _you'll_ arrange an appointment to see if you have it?"

"Maybe," said Shion thoughtfully. "It wouldn't hurt. I would just have to find the _time."_

The awkward silence lasted a bit longer before Satoshi said, "Hey, Shion...want to play a game?"

"Well, I'd have to see if my grandma is sleeping first, and I'd have to take her dishes to wash them, but sure, I guess," shrugged Shion. "Why? What would we play?"

With a smile on his face, Satoshi pulled out a deck of cards from his pocket. "Up for a game of Old Maid?"

* * *

It was an intense battle. Several rounds of cards were dealt. Some were discarded, some were taken, and some stayed in their rightful owner's hand. Just when Shion thought her sister was the master of Old Maid, she had met her match in the name of Satoshi Houjou.

"This is it, Houjou," said Shion, shuffling her deck. "Now we'll have to see who wins...and who becomes an _old maid."_

"Bring it on, Sonozaki," said Satoshi with a knowing smirk on his face, revealing a more playful side to himself. "Bring. It. _On."_

"Wait a minute," said Shion suddenly. She turned her cards over. Sure enough, there were creases in them that made the shape of the numbers and hearts and diamonds visible.

"Hey, this is cheating!" declared Shion, slamming her cards down on the table while Satoshi laughed. "You picked this trick up from my sister, _didn't you?"_

Satoshi only cackled and nodded. Shion's emerald green eyes flashed with anger. _Oh..._he was going to get it _bad._

"You'll pay for that one, Houjou!" declared Shion. She snatched up a pillow from the couch and hit Satoshi over the head with it. Satoshi laughed and picked up another pillow and started hitting Shion with it back.

Pillows were flying, cards were being spilt onto the floor, but all the while, the two were laughing at the soft force of the pillows flying up against one another's faces, eventually losing all sense of direction. They became so caught up in their fun, in fact, they didn't even notice the footsteps coming from the stairs until they heard the sound of an elderly woman clearing her throat.

Startled, Shion and Satoshi dropped their pillows simultaneously. "Grandma," said Shion, hoping Oryou wouldn't be _too_ mad. "Did I wake you up? I'm sorry."

"I've been up for quite some time, Shion," said Oryou coldly. "I came down because I heard a commotion, and what do I find? You, behaving like a _child."_

Shion blushed. "Sorry, grandma," she said, bowing. She stood upright and said, "Grandma, I'd like you to meet Satoshi Houjou. Satoshi, this is my grandmother, Oryou Sonozaki."

"Please to meet you, m'am," said Satoshi politely, stretching out one hand. Oryou stared at his hand as though it had disgusting vermin crawling all over it before looking over to Shion. "You can stay longer if you like, but you may go. I am feeling much better now."

"Goodbye, grandma," said Shion politely. "Satoshi and I will be leaving now."

As the two headed for the door, Shion kept looking over her shoulder to see if her grandmother was going to march right up to the two of them, drag them down to the torture chamber, and force them to remove _all_ of their nails for daring to get this close within her sight.

But nothing happened. Her gruff expression did not change. What did this mean? Was she all right with this relationship? Or was she just too weak to fight back?

* * *

The snow lightly crunched beneath Shion's feet as she and Satoshi made their way through the village, the sky a shade of grey that wasn't quite so gloomy.

"Do you have a place to stay?" asked Shion. "Because if you like, you can stay with me and Kasai. We'll prepare an extra bed for you."

"Thanks, but it's okay," said Satoshi. "I'm living with Satoko and Rika." He lightly chuckled. "Oh, that Satoko—she has matured a lot, but there's a part of her that's still the same, scared Satoko she once was."

"What could she be scared of?" asked Shion.

Satoshi looked in Shion's direction. "Of me leaving again," he replied.

"Oh," said Shion. Then, "Thank you for helping me today, Satoshi. I got to learn a bit more about you."

"It's no problem," shrugged Satoshi. "I like getting to know you."

Light, fluffy snowflakes gently fell down from the sky. "Satoshi?" said Shion.

"Yeah?" said Satoshi.

"Um," said Shion, searching for the right words. She was going to ask if he ever had any weird dreams about killing people, but decided against it, lest this set off memories about his aunt. "Well...how about I stop with you at Satoko and Rika's for a bit? We'll be planning a coming-home party for Mion and Keiichi when they get back from their honeymoon."

"What about Rena?" asked Satoshi.

"We'll call her up when we get there," said Shion.

"Hey, Shion," said Satoshi, who stopped walking. "You've got something on your nose."

"I do?" asked Shion, who stood still.

"Just let me get it," said Satoshi. He used one gentle finger and slid it down her nose. "Just a snowflake," he said. "Isn't the snow so peaceful this time of year?"

Shion smiled. "It sure is."


	5. Chapter 5

5

It was on the fourth day that Mion and Keiichi were due back from their honeymoon. Oryou had agreed to a coming-home party for them on the condition that it be relatively small, and not too rowdy. Now, Shion and the guests—Satoshi, Rika, Satoko, and Rena—were piling up their wedding gifts in a small corner.

"It's good to have you back, Satoshi," said Rena politely, bending down as far as her pregnant belly would allow her to place her gift.

"It's good to _be_ back," replied Satoshi. Shion could almost swear he was smiling at her with the corner of his mouth.

"Where have you been all this time, anyway?" asked Rena.

Satoshi and Shion exchanged a glance. They weren't quite sure when to tell everyone the truth. Shion spoke for Satoshi: "He's been on a long trip. He doesn't feel like talking about it right now."

"Where did you go?" asked Satoko, looking her brother right in the eye. "Why did you leave? What was so important you had to leave me behind?"

Luckily, Satoshi was saved from answer that by the sound of footsteps running into the living room. In came a woman with green hair tied up in a bun, with soothing green eyes. She resembled Mion and Shion in every way.

She was their mother, Akane Sonozaki.

"It's time," she breathed. "Mion and Keiichi are on their way to the door."

With that in mind, everyone ran off to find a good hiding place. Shion bent down behind a nearby couch, not realizing she was next to Satoshi until her hand lightly brushed his. She looked up and saw him. The two smiled nervously just as the lights went out.

_It wouldn't hurt to try,_ thought Shion, carefully moving her hand to Satoshi's until it lightly rested upon his hand. He didn't reject it. She supposed this was a good sign...

Shion froze up at the sound of footsteps, not realizing she had just curled her fingers under Satoshi's hand and was grasping it tightly as though a ghost was right behind them.

There was a _crrrRREEaaak_ of the door opening as Mion laughed, "Hey, Keiichi-kun, just remember to go easy on the ohagi next time, eh? Keiichi-kun?"

"It's dark in here," said Keiichi's voice.

It was only now that Shion realized she had been holding Satoshi's hand. She quickly pulled her hand away just in time for light to fill the room, and to jump out with everyone else yelling, "SURPRISE!"

Mion and Keiichi stood there in total surprise before smiling and laughing, grateful to be back home again with their friends.

* * *

Even though the celebrating was kept as quiet and peaceful as possible, there was still quite a bit of chatting amongst friends.

"Are you and Keiichi going to live with your grandmother for very long?" asked Rena as she sat down on the couch with Mion and Keiichi, a cup of water in her hands.

"Probably," replied Mion. "She's too proud to admit it, but she still needs a lot of help. Keiichi and I plan on staying here a while longer until we find a house of our own."

"I'll be working for your Uncle Yoshiro at that toy store downtown," explained Keiichi. "What I'd _really_ like to do, though, is coach the Hinamizawa Fighters."

"Do you think you'll get tested for Hinamizawa syndrome eventually?" asked Rena. "I've already gone and gotten my shot."

"Eventually," shrugged Keiichi. He looked over at Satoshi and Shion who were standing together in a corner and remarked, "Looks like Satoshi and your sister are awfully close, Mion."

Mion saw the two of them talking. They looked happy to be able to talk, yet just a tad awkward. "Well, Shion _does_ care for Satoshi an awful lot," she said. "I don't think they really knew each other _that_ well, but it looks like they're a bit closer."

Keiichi noticed Satoko and Rika talking. He said, "I wonder how Satoko's taking all this? She must have been very close to Satoshi."

"She sure was," nodded Mion. "It was hard for her to get by with only Rika for support. Even when she had Shion, she still missed her brother. I'm sure she's happy now."

"Not quite," spoke up Rena. She explained to the surprised faces of Keiichi and Mion, "Just before you guys came, Satoko was asking Satoshi why he left and where he was. He seemed kind of reluctant to answer that." She made sure no one was hearing her before adding, "And just between you and me, I think Shion knows where he went because right after I asked where he had been, they shared a look with each other."

"Are you sure it wasn't a _lover's_ look?" said Mion, raising an eyebrow.

"It might have been, I don't know," shrugged Rena. "I just notice things. Like how Rika seems to talk to herself sometimes." She let out a small gasp. "Oh! The baby's kicking!"

* * *

While the others were talking amongst themselves, Shion and Satoshi were sharing a private conversation of their own, mainly regarding Satoko.

"Should we tell her?" asked Satoshi.

"I don't know," said Shion slowly. "Dr. Irie asked me to keep it a secret from her when you were in the hospital. But now that you're awake and here, and now that she knows you really are back, maybe she'll take it well."

"But she worries I'm not really _staying,"_ sighed Satoshi, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "She always wants to know where I'm going and what I'm doing. She seems to think I'm planning on staying for a little while before running off again. Maybe you're right. Maybe she _would_ feel better if she knew."

"Or she might be mad for me not telling her," said Shion, looking over at Satoko, who was laughing with Rika. "She doesn't _have_ to know I knew all along, right?"

"I don't know about that," said Satoshi, who now placed his hands in his pockets. "I'd feel bad about keeping secrets from Satoko."

"Me too," nodded Shion. "Well, we'll tell her eventually, just not now." She looked over to Satoshi and smiled. "For now, let's just enjoy this night."

She turned at the sound of footsteps approaching them. In walked her mother who said, "Your grandmother is asleep now. We can continue the rest of the party at Keiichi's if that's what Mion wants."

"Oh," said Shion. "That's...nice." She then said, "Mom, this is Satoshi. Satoshi, this is my mom."

Satoshi stretched out his hand. This time, the gesture was appreciated with a handshake, although she looked suspicious. "A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Sonozaki."

"And a pleasure to meet you, Satoshi," said Akane politely. "And it's _Ms._ Sonozaki. I kept my maiden name to please my mother, but she was still sore about my husband."

"Well," said Satoshi awkwardly when their hands parted. "How about we go tell Mion it's time to move this party?"

* * *

At Keiichi's house, the atmosphere was much more welcome and friendly. The Maebara's greeted everyone with open arms and soon, the air was filled with food, music, and laughter.

"I am now forever grateful that my dad's friend got him this new piano for his and my mother's anniversary," declared Keiichi as he lounged on the couch, listening to Akane playing a soft melody. "Now we have something to listen to other than that maddening silence!"

"The baby likes it, that's for sure," said Rena, gently rubbing her belly.

Mion noticed Satoshi standing nearby, looking at Shion taking a sip of water by the sink. He looked as though he was beginning to develop more of his opinion on her, and it was a good opinion.

Mion walked up to Satoshi and said, "So, are you less confused now that you know about my twin?"

"Uh-huh," nodded Satoshi, not taking his eyes off Shion. "I wish I knew her more."

"Oh?" said Mion, raising an eyebrow. "You don't know her well enough already after being given three days to know each other?"

"Well, yeah, but I feel like I should _still_ get to know her more," explained Satoshi. "I like what I get from her now, but she's like a puzzle: The pieces are piling up. All I have to do is put them together and look for the missing pieces."

An idea suddenly came to Mion. "You know," she said, "there is _one_ way you could get to know her better."

"How so?" asked Satoshi.

"Just watch," said Mion with a mischievous grin on her face, wriggling her eyebrows. She then announced, "Who's up for a game of Old Maid? We play in Keiichi-kun's room!"

"One condition," said Keiichi, shooting up from his seat. "We do _not_ use _your_ cards!"

"It's a done deal," said Mion, who was fully prepared to launch her matchmaker scheme into action.

* * *

Technically speaking, Mion had kept her promise not to use her cards—but who was to say she actually _said_ "we will not use my cards"? No one ever said she _couldn't_ shuffle a few of her cards into the deck with the Maebara cards—and give said cards to Shion and Satoshi.

"Huh," said Keiichi as they ventured on through the game. "I don't believe this—Mion actually followed through with her promise not to cheat!"

"Just call it the power of love!" said Mion playfully, giving Keiichi a peck on the cheek.

The game was just between Keiichi, Mion, Satoshi, and Shion. Mion had given the cheating cards to Satoshi and Shion for a very specific purpose—to force them to participate in a very _different_ kind of punishment game.

Mion turned to Satoshi and Shion. "And how are the two of _you_ doing?" she asked.

Shion gave Mion the Death Glare, but Mion only shrugged. She looked up at the clock and said, "Oh, would you look at the time! I guess we should end this game early!"

She snuck a peek over Shion's shoulder and while doing so, looked at the crease in Satoshi's remaining card. "Oh-ho-ho," she cackled. "Looks like _you two_ are the Old Maids! All right, time for the punishment game! And not just _any_ punishment game, oh no!"

Before anyone had a chance to react, Mion whipped out a pair of handcuffs and within seconds, Shion and Satoshi were cuffed together. "It pays to be in good favour with Uncle Yoshiro," said Mion, smirking. "Don't worry; I'll let you two out eventually...in about _one hour!"_

Mion cackled evilly, but not _too_ wildly, lest she attract the attention of everyone else sitting down for dinner downstairs, blissfully clueless to these events unfolding.

"You'll pay for this, Mion!" declared Shion as Mion and Keiichi got up and walked off to have dinner together, laughing.

"So now we're stuck like this," sighed Satoshi. "Well, we're not going to be like this _forever,_ so...maybe we should just stay and...talk."

"Yeah," nodded Shion. "Let's talk."

The two spent ten whole minutes thinking about what exactly to talk about before Satoshi finally said, "So...do you like waffles?"

"Waffles?" laughed Shion. "That's a random thing to talk about!"

"I know," nodded Satoshi. "I just remember how my parents would occasionally make us—Satoko and me—all these Western-style dishes for breakfast. Satoko never did like our new father, but there was this one morning where we woke up to the smell of waffles coming from the kitchen. We all sat down together and talked and joked and laughed. For a while, it looked as though we really had become a true family."

His eyes grew wistful. "That was the day our parents died," he said. "Satoko never wanted to talk about it, but I will always remember that last moment when we were truly happy together—as a family."

"Satoshi," said Shion softly, using her free hand to awkwardly pat him on the knee. "I'm so sorry. I know how it feels to wish to go back to when you and your family were _happy._ To when your family had no worries, when they actually _cared_ about you."

"You get that feeling too, huh," said Satoshi softly.

"Yes," nodded Shion. "The last time I can truly recall my family and I being together as a _family,_ not as a family _name,_ is when I was five. My parents took my sister and I out on this picnic in the forest where the cicadas cry. We had spent _weeks_ preparing for it. We even made our own sandwiches." Her eyes shined with tears. "I can still remember Mion and me playing tag while our parents sat on the blanket, looking into each other's eyes, holding hands. We were all so _happy."_

"And after that...?" inquired Satoshi.

"After that," said Shion, looking down, "things started to get more formal. Even when I was little, I could tell there was a great deal of tension between my mother and my grandmother. There were seldom few occasions where I actually saw my grandmother acting as, well, a grandmother. She would be soft and sentimental during the holidays, but that was it. The rest of the time, we were urged to upkeep the Sonozaki name at all times."

"Shion," said Satoshi softly. He lifted up his free hand and tried angling it to pat Shion's head, but he lost his balance and the two fell down onto the floor, him on top of her.

Realizing the awkward position they were in, they moved ever so slightly to get themselves off of each other, sitting up awkwardly. "Sorry," apologized Satoshi. "I always _try_ to help, but I just make things worse."

"Looks like we have a few things in common after all," said Shion, glad to realize she and Satoshi weren't quite all that different after all. Maybe with more time, they could...?

"Yeah," said Satoshi awkwardly. "We sure do."

Their heads turned at the sound of footsteps. In came Mion with the same smirk on her face. "I heard a sound coming from up here," she said. "You're not getting _too_ cozy, now are you?"

"No," said Shion and Satoshi at the same time.

"Well," said Mion, "I just thought I'd make things even _cosier_ for you two, that's all." She then bent down at the new cassette player the Maebara's had also been given on their anniversary (many of their friends were music lovers). She picked up the cassette labelled _Dear You_, pulled out the tape, and put it into the player. She pressed play and wordlessly stood up and walked back to the dining room.

The music started off as a soft melody before the lyrics began shortly after: _"Anata wa ima doko de nani moshite imasuka?/Kono sora no tsuzuku basho ni imasuka?" (What are you doing now, at what place?/Are you at a place where this sky continues into?)_

The melody was so gentle, so soothing, that both Satoshi and Shion felt themselves completely relax. Shion placed her head on Satoshi's shoulder, and he placed his chin on her head. Shion closed her eyes and allowed herself to be carried away by the lyrics.

"_Ima mamade watashi no kokoro wo umetei ta mono,"_ sang the melancholic voice. _"Ushinate hajimete kitsuita." (I lost that which has buried my heart until now/And noticed it for the first time)_

Shion felt a certain feeling of melancholy in her heart, though she wasn't sure why until the lyrics continued: _"Konani mo watashi wo sasete kurete ita koto/Konani mo egao wo kurete ita koto/Ushinate shima tade isshou wo/Todetsu nodaku o wo kisuite toki modo sou wo to hishiini, deo/Nobashite mo gaku keredo; naru de kaze no yo wo ni suri rukede todoki sou wo de todoka nai." (The fact that you had been supporting me this much/The fact that you had been giving me smiles this much/The price of having lost it is way too preposterously great/And I desperately reach out my hands and struggle to recover it, but/It slips by just like the wind; it looks like I'll reach it but I don't)_

Shion felt tears come to her eyes. Those lyrics...they reminded her so much of how she had felt when Satoshi was gone. The loss had been almost too much for her to live with. Whenever she thought she saw him on the street, it was just a look-alike. And just when she _thought_ she would get to be with him again when Dr. Irie told her where he was, those hopes were quickly dashed upon the revelation he may never wake up.

"_Kodoku to setsudou ni mune wo shimetsu kenune," _sang on the voice, _"Kokoro ga toware sou ni naru keredo." (My chest is tightened by loneliness and despair/And my heart seems to break)_

Shion blinked and felt a single tear run down her cheeks. This song...Mion had chosen this one on purpose, hadn't she? Just to make her see how much this related to her and Satoshi? She was going to _pay..._

"_Omoi nani nokoru anata no egao nougat watatshi wo itsumo hageba shitekureru." (But your smile that remains in my memories always encourages me)_

Another tear rolled down Shion's face. This time, it was a tear of joy. The song played on, and the soft interlude gently drifted Shion off...

* * *

"My, my, my!" clucked a voice that stirred Satoshi and Shion from their slumber. "Looks like my plan worked better than I thought!"

Shion opened up her eyes—and saw Mion standing there with a smirk on her face. Shion's eyes moved to Satoshi's and the two realized the position they had been sleeping in. They quickly moved a few inches away from each other, blushing furiously.

"It has been exactly one hour," said Mion as she pulled out a small key. "Now I'll let you two go."

She then unlocked the cuffs and helped Satoshi and Shion get out of them. "The party's just about over," she said. "We'll be going home soon. Satoko and Rika have already headed off home."

"That's good to know," said Satoshi as he and Shion stood up. He turned to Shion and said, "I'm going to catch up with my sister now. Maybe you'd like to walk with me?"

"Sure, just give me a minute to catch up," said Shion.

As Satoshi walked off, Shion turned to Mion who said, "Well, onee? Do you feel like giving me some payback for what I did?"

Shion smiled. "No," she said. "Payback can wait another day. For now, though, I think I'll catch up with Satoshi."

* * *

**A/N: The song used is **_**Dear You (Vocal)**_** from the Higurashi soundtrack. There are many versions of **_**Dear You**_** for the other characters (their character songs), but I used this one because a) the Japanese and English lyrics were easier to find, and b) I felt the lyrics fit Satoshi and Shion the best. The main reason why I didn't include the entire song was because I felt I didn't need to use all of it to get the point across. I felt using the first half was enough.**

**I probably could've done just as well with a song in English from North American pop culture, but I decided no—this takes place in Japan, hence the lyrics should be in Japanese with English translation on the side. There will be no "Baby One More Time" or the likes of it. And while there are some songs that do fit them quite well in English, by the Higurashi time line, these songs should not exist yet, hence it would create a bit of a paradox.**


	6. Chapter 6

6

February flew by in a flash. The remaining snow began to melt, little by little, until a large part of it was nothing more than a small trickle running down a large drain. The blossoms were not in bloom yet, but the seeds had been planted. By early March, Shion and Satoshi had grown closer—to the point where it could be said they were close friends. And yet...Shion was being held back from growing even closer to him. Not by her grandmother. Not by Mion. By _herself._

* * *

_Shion smirked at the sight—there was poor, little Satoko with a furious look in her eyes, chained to a blood-stained cross. She was in for a fun-filled night._

"_You murderer!" cried out Satoko._

"_I'm guessing Kimiyoshi's dead now," said Shion calmly. Satoko turned her head away at the horrible sight of Kimiyoshi hanged by the neck with a sturdy chain, his eyes nearly rolled over in the back of his head, his neck bent at a horrifying angle._

"_Oh, now I get it," said Shion, not trying very hard to hide her glee at Satoko's misery. "You just watched him die." She let out a laugh, hoping Satoko was suffering the way Satoshi had suffered._

"_How could you do this to everyone?!?" cried out Satoko. "To Rika?!?"_

_Satoko looked like she was about to cry, which infuriated Shion even more. Satoko seemed to be able to hold those tears back and she cried, "All right, tell me. What do you plan to do to me?"_

_With a sadistic smile on her face, Shion said all-too calmly, "Kill you." Satoko's eyes widened and she whimpered, causing Shion to think, what a little baby._

"_No, stop!" cried out the voice of Mion from her prison. "Please just leave Satoko alone!"_

_Shion laughed, "You want to save her? You didn't seem willing to do that when it came to Satoshi. And that is your sin."_

_With that, Shion took the dagger and plunged it through Satoko's arm, causing her to cry out in pain. Shion cackled and swung the blade deeper into her flesh, feeling herself gaining a deep, incented pleasure from all this._

"_Please!" begged Mion. "Just forgive her! Whatever she did, forgive her! Do what you want with me!"_

"_I was begging just like you not too long ago," said Shion coldly, continuing to dig the blade further into the whimpering Satoko's flesh. "You can plead for her till your throat is raw and it still won't save her! You'll just have to sit there and watch your friend suffer!"_

_She plunged the knife once again, splattering blood, causing Satoko's arm to tremble._

"_STOP IT!" shrieked Mion. "Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!"_

"_All right, how about this then?" said Shion as she pulled out the dagger. "Tell me that you're sorry one thousand times. Do that, and I'll gladly let Satoko go."_

_Mion began crying out, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" over and over, but Shion continued to stab Satoko, knowing Mion's cries were in vain._

_Shion once more thrust the dagger into Satoko's arm, gaining more and more pleasure from Satoko's tears and from the endless "I'm sorry" in the background, echoing in her ears..._

* * *

Shion gasped, with not only her eyes shooting wide open, but her body also springing halfway up. She sat all the way up in bed and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down, though she could feel herself shaking terribly. She had _felt_ the actual emotions, the actual _pleasure._ She had _heard_ Satoko's cries of pain and Mion's pleading. It was as though she were actually there. It couldn't be a dream. It just _couldn't._ And yet, how could she have tortured Satoko and Mion if she hadn't actually done it?

Shion got out of bed and quietly tip-toed out of her room, down the hall, and to the kitchen to prepare herself a snack. Maybe if she ate, she would calm down just a bit and go back to sleep.

She opened up the fridge and got out a jar of peanut butter and some bread before closing the door. She was going to make herself a peanut butter sandwich. It would be nice and soothing. She opened up the drawer containing the knives...suddenly, she did not want to even _look_ at another knife. The sight made her shiver.

"It's three o'clock in the morning, Shion."

Shion yelped and jumped. She was relieved to see it was only Kasai standing there in his blue-striped pyjamas. "Kasai, don't _do_ that again," she breathed. "You _scared_ me."

Kasai's eyes moved to the peanut butter jar. "Hungry?" he said.

"Yes," nodded Shion. Hoping to get out of having to hold one of the knives, she said, "Could you please help me make a sandwich?"

"Sure," said Kasai, who stepped up to the counter. "In fact, let me make two. I'm hungry myself."

* * *

Five minutes later, Shion was sitting down on the couch with Kasai next to her, eating her sandwich in an awkward silence.

"You've been getting up in the middle of the night a lot lately," said Kasai. "Can't sleep? Nightmares?"

Shion tensed up. "Yeah," she said. "You could say that. It's just really, really intense nightmares."

"Shion," said Kasai, "do you need me to stay that much longer? Do you think you can handle these nightmares by yourself?"

"Why do you ask?" asked Shion. "Are you and Ami engaged yet?"

"Not yet, no," said Kasai, shaking his head. "I want to give our relationship a little while longer first. Every good thing takes time to develop on its own."

"Right," muttered Shion, thinking about herself and Satoshi.

"I just think you've grown into a capable young woman who seldom needs me around anymore," explained Kasai. "You are very much like your mother. In more ways than one, I might add. After all," he smiled, "her feelings towards your father were no different than yours to Satoshi."

Shion felt her stomach turn at the sound of his name. _Satoshi..._in her dreams, she committed murder for him...horrible, brutal murders that no one deserved...

"So," said Kasai, "do you think you are ready for me to let you live here completely by yourself? Or do you need me a little while longer?"

Shion said slowly, "I think...I will need you to stay for a bit. At least, until these nightmares stop."

"Very well then," said Kasai, who stood up and took Shion's empty, crumb-filled plate with his to the kitchen sink.

"I'm going back to bed now," said Shion, standing up. "Good night, Kasai."

"Good night, Shion," replied Kasai from the kitchen.

Shion walked off to her bedroom. She closed the door behind her and got back into bed. She was feeling tired, but not tired enough to go to sleep. Instead, she lay there and thought...back to when she told Mion about Satoshi on the night of the Watanagashi festival seven years ago...

* * *

"_Onee," said Mion softly after Shion had told her everything, the two girls sitting by the edge of the river in their own little corner. "I had no idea."_

"_I'm sorry," choked out Shion, her throat becoming a thick rock. "I'm sorry for blaming you. For—for saying you spirited away Satoshi-kun, when really—all that happened was—he—"_

_Shion just cried even harder. She felt Mion's arms wrap around her and pull her in for a good cry she hadn't had in a long time. When was the last time she had cried with her sister like this? Last year? No—even then, she was the one to comfort Mion after finding out she had three of her fingernails removed for her._

_When Shion felt calm enough to start speaking again, she said, "I'm going to visit him, Mion. I'm going to stop by once a week and read him stories. So," her shining, teary eyes looked into Mion's eyes, "do you have anything I could borrow?"_

"_I'll look through my collection and see what I have," said Mion calmly._

"_We can never tell Satoko about this," said Shion in a hushed tone. "It would break her heart if she knew."_

"_I understand," nodded Mion._

"_Mion," said Shion, "do you think Satoshi will eventually wake up?" Before Mion could answer that, Shion said, "I think he will. I'll never stop hoping for him to come back. I'll wait for him, Mion. Even if I have to wait my whole life."_

"_Do you really think you can do that?" said Mion._

"_I can," said Shion half-assuredly. "I know I can." Then, "Mion? I know you love Keiichi."_

_Mion stiffened. Her cheeks were beginning to darken, which could be seen even in the moonlight. "Well, uh, yeah," she stammered._

_Shion took Mion by the shoulders and said firmly, "Do not let him get away. Whatever you have to say to him, say it. Do not wait until later to tell him how you feel because you'll never know when you'll get another chance...if you do at all."_

"_I promise," said Mion solemnly. She looked down the river at the other villagers tossing dabs of white into the river. She stood up and said, "What do you say we go back and enjoy the rest of the night?"_

"_Okay," said Shion, standing up. She was going to carry on as best she could...for now._

* * *

In a way, Shion supposed she may have been partially responsible for Keiichi and Mion getting together. True, Keiichi had been the one to suggest for the two to start dating...but as the saying goes, it takes two to tango. Would Mion have had the initiative to return Keiichi's feelings had it not been for that talk?

Shion yawned. She could barely keep her eyes open. Within five minutes, she drifted off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Shion didn't know how she managed to get up the next day, but she did. With a little help from the sunlight bathing her bed, and some help from Kasai, she managed to get up at around ten o'clock and make herself breakfast—just a plain, simple bowl of rice with chopsticks. She sat on a chair on the balcony and ate while watching the sun shine on Okinomiya, listening to the sounds of cars coming and going. She didn't know why, but she always felt a tad unnerved when sitting out here, as if she could fall off at any moment.

The balcony doors slid open and out came Kasai who simply said, "Telephone for you, Shion."

"Oh," said Shion, standing up with her half-empty bowl. "Who is it?"

"It's Satoshi," replied Kasai. "He wants to talk to you about something."

Shion gently put her bowl down on the stone railing, briefly feeling an overwhelming sensation of vertigo. She ran into her room and straight to the nearest telephone, which she picked up and said, "Satoshi?"

"Hey, Shion!" said Satoshi's voice. "Good morning!"

"Good morning to you, too," said Shion.

"I was just calling to let you know my birthday is on the tenth," explained Satoshi. "And Satoko and I were planning on going out for dinner together, and I was wondering if maybe you would like to join."

For a minute, Shion could swear her heart stopped beating.

"Shion?"

"Yes," blurted out Shion. "I would love to—I mean, if it's okay with Satoko."

"I already asked Satoko what she thought of the idea, and she _loved_ it," said Satoshi. "You're like a sister to her, Shion. She said having you with us would almost be like being a whole family."

Shion resolved right then and there to _never_ tell Satoko about the dreams she had. She might tell others when she was ready, but Satoko would never know. She smiled and said, "Aw, that's so sweet. What time should we go?"

"I was thinking we could meet up at my place at around seven," replied Satoshi. "And we'll be off to this new place called Devil Mort."

"Ah," said Shion. "That was just recently built. It's a sister restaurant to Angel Mort, only it serves traditionally Japanese dinner dishes."

"That's what I heard," said Satoshi. "Well...see you then."

"Goodbye, Satoshi," said Shion. She hung up and then proceeded to dial Mion's number. She would need help preparing for both her date, and her "family" dinner.


	7. Chapter 7

7

"I'm so nervous," said Shion on the night of the dinner. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, wearing a sleeveless black dress that went down to her ankles, complete with matching black stockings, shoes, and a shawl to keep herself warm as it was still a bit cool outside. Mion was sitting on the bed, helping Shion brush her hair. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Now don't you worry about a _thing,"_ said Mion assuredly. "I was this way on the night of my first date with Keiichi, remember? And we pulled through just _fine._ Besides, you and Satoshi are together a lot now. What should make this any different?"

"The fact that we're bringing Satoko," said Shion, swinging her feet against the bed. "It would feel really awkward."

"I'm sure Satoko will be _fine_ with it," said Mion, patting Shion on the shoulder. "I'll bet you and Satoshi will share your first kiss by the time the night is over!"

"Maybe," said Shion. She looked up at the clock. "I have to go now. Thanks for helping me out."

"No problem," said Mion. "And by the way, don't forget—for helping you out, you and Satoshi both owe me dessert at Angel Mort tomorrow."

"I wouldn't forget it for the world!" Shion chirped.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us, Rika-chan?" asked Satoko as she and Satoshi stood outside waiting for Shion, Satoko wearing a red kimono while Satoshi wore a black kimono.

"I'm sure," said Rika. "It's _your_ dinner with Shion, after all! You're much closer to her than I am. Nipah!"

"I hope Shion won't feel _too_ awkward about this," said Satoshi, adjusting his sleeves. "She's used to it being just us most of the time."

"Satoshi," said Satoko, "you and Shion are pretty close, aren't you?"

"We sure are," nodded Satoshi.

"How close _are_ you?" asked Satoko, raising an eyebrow.

"We're just friends," said Satoshi, looking around to see if Shion had arrived yet.

"Are you sure?" said Satoko.

Before Satoshi could answer that, Rika said, "Look! Shion's coming this way!"

Sure enough, Shion came down the path, her black dress almost camouflaging with the night. Satoko turned to Rika and said, "Bye, Rika! We'll see you later!"

"Bye, Satoko!" said Rika, waving happily as Satoshi and Satoko began to head down the path. Rika turned and went back inside the house. She walked over to the room she shared with Satoko, and now with Satoshi. Sitting right under the windowsill was the teddy bear Satoshi had returned with. It would sit there, watching the three of them sleeping, acting as a guardian.

Rika walked over to the window and looked out at the three people meeting up. Shion was giving Satoko a hug, both looking quite happy.

"Why do you look so serious, Rika-chan?" said the voice of Hanyuu. "They look perfectly happy to me."

"Yes," said Rika. "They do indeed look happy." She took a closer look. Shion was now giving Satoshi a hug, but she let go of him all too quickly. She looked as though she _wanted_ to hold on to him a bit longer, but was being held back by something.

"However," said Rika, "I am more suspicious than ever that Shion remembers."

"You really think she remembers when she killed all those people?" said Hanyuu.

"Yes," nodded Rika. "I don't think any of us can ever forget what happened in each of those worlds. Some of us remember better than others. And while there may be some who may not remember _everything,_ there will be those who begin to recall it. They get confused about what is happening, what is real and what is not." She shook her head sadly. "That is what happened to Takano. She may have tried to kill me—and has killed me in several worlds—but no one deserves that sort of torment."

"Hauu," said Hanyuu nervously. "What will happen to Shion?"

"I think she is still affected by it, very much so," said Rika as she observed the three walking off together. "I think I am going to call her tomorrow—tell her to come by if she has anymore nightmares. Then we can explain everything to her."

* * *

Devil Mort wasn't too different from Angel Mort in terms of exterior and interior design; however, the colouring styles were very different: The walls were marble white, while the floors were dark as charcoal. The windows were around 8x10 inches, giving a clear view of the bustling city outside. Because it was a particularly nice night, the three of them took a seat by the window, which gave off a very calming feeling.

"Satoko," said Shion, hoping to start up a conversation, "how are things going for you at school?"

"They're pretty good, I guess," shrugged Satoko. "It's kind of boring now without the club. The club made things interesting." She smiled and said, "Remember all those cruel punishment games we used to inflict on Keiichi?"

"Oh yeah," laughed Shion. "Mion told me there was one day where Keiichi had to—" She stopped when she saw a melancholic look on Satoshi's face. "Satoshi? What's wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing," sighed Satoshi. "It's just that I...never really got to join that club..."

"I forgot, sorry," said Satoko apologetically.

"It's okay, Satoko," said Satoshi, who affectionately patted Satoko on the head.

_I wish you'd do that for me more often, Satoshi-kun,_ thought Shion. She cleared her throat and said, "So, Satoshi, do you think you might return to the Hinamizawa Fighters? Dr. Irie might need you as an assistant coach."

"Maybe, maybe not," shrugged Satoshi. "I'm not really that much into baseball anymore, but it was fun to be on the team, so I'll consider it."

"My Uncle Yoshiro could get you a job, if you want," suggested Shion.

Satoshi shook his head. "No, it's okay," he said. "I'll get by." Then, "So, Shion, have you figured out a way to give Mion her payback yet?"

"Well, the only thing that comes to mind is making her pay for tomorrow's desserts," said Shion, stirring her spoon in the empty glass. She grinned evilly. "Of course, we could also—"

"What desserts?" asked Satoko.

Shion and Satoshi exchanged an 'oh-crap-what-did-we-just-say' look. Shion hadn't realized Satoshi hadn't told Satoko about the dessert date. "Well," said Satoshi, "Shion and I are going on a little dessert date with Mion tomorrow, that's all."

"Oh," said Satoko. "Okay."

"Satoko," spoke up Shion, moving a bit closer to Satoko, "you know Satoshi is never going to leave you again. He is here to stay."

"How can I believe that?" said Satoko, her mood now sour. "I believed Satoshi would never leave me when I was nine, but he left me anyway just a few days before my tenth birthday. How can I believe he won't leave me again?"

"Satoko, I'm sorry," said Satoshi calmly. "But something came up and—"

"_What?!?"_ burst out Satoko. _"What came up?_ I always ask you that, and you _always_ find a way to avoid answering me!" She took a deep breath to keep herself from crying and said, "I'm sorry if I'm sounding like a pest. I'm sorry if I sound like a whiny brat. But...I went all those years without my brother, hoping for him to return, and thinking he will _never_ return. I learned how to survive on my own—for that, I am thankful." Her violet eyes filled up with tears. "But why did I have to learn my lesson at the cost of my nii-nii leaving me?"

Shion knew then she had to tell the truth. She said, "Satoko," and held her hand, "I know exactly how you felt. I was beginning to think Satoshi would never return, that he had been spirited away by Oyashiro's curse. And then...do you remember that summer where we all defeated Takano seven years ago?"

Satoko nodded.

"Well," said Shion, "during that battle, Dr. Irie told me what really happened." She looked over at Satoshi, whose face told her to keep going. She looked back over at Satoko and said, "On the day Satoshi bought you that bear, he started going insane from the Hinamizawa syndrome, and his life was only saved by Dr. Irie's last minute intervention. And so...for the past eight years, Satoshi lived in the basement of the Irie Clinic, unconscious and unable to return to either of us."

Satoko looked stunned, but Shion continued: "Dr. Irie told me not to tell you because he didn't want you to be crushed by the revelation that Satoshi might never wake up." She looked away. "It crushed _me_ well enough."

Shion felt Satoshi's hand slip into hers. She looked into Satoshi's mournful eyes. He said solemnly, "Thank you, Shion. And not just for telling the truth—for saving my life."

"What?" said Shion and Satoko, both interested in this confession.

"You see," said Satoshi, searching for the right words to explain, "I was beginning to think I'd never be able to buy that bear for you, Satoko." He now had a guilty look on his face. "I...was actually thinking of leaving Hinamizawa. I was going to use the money to run somewhere far, far away, where our aunt couldn't get to me." He looked into Shion's startled eyes. "And then...Shion came along and put a hold on the bear for me. The next day, I went downtown to buy that bear. Dr. Irie saw me and offered to help me take it home."

He sighed, "Well, as you can imagine, one thing led to another and I ended up in the clinic just as I was about to tear my throat out." The look in his eyes now became friendly. "So if it wasn't for Shion, I probably would've clawed my throat out by the time I got to wherever I was going and had no one to help me if I ran away. Thank you."

"Oh," said Shion uncomfortably. Part of her wanted to smack Satoshi for seriously considering leaving her and Satoko behind...and yet the other part wanted to kiss him for praising her. "Well, uh...you're welcome, I guess."

"Nii-nii," said Satoko softly. She scooted past Shion and gave Satoshi a tight hug, which he gladly returned. Shion could only sit there, stunned that her involvement had somehow saved Satoshi's life. At the time, she was just helping him out to atone for her treatment of Satoko...she didn't think she had actually saved his _life..._

Just then, the waitress came with their orders. While the Devil Mort uniforms were not as revealing as the Angel Mort uniforms, by no means did this suggest these uniforms were any less sexy than the standard uniform. The waitress was wearing a skin-tight black body suit that emphasized her ample breasts, and red ankle boots making her seem about two inches taller.

"Here you go!" she said cheerfully, handing the three their orders: sushi, sukiyaki, and oden. She said, "Aw, I hope I'm not interrupting a tender family moment?"

"Er, no you're not," said Satoko quickly, getting herself out of Satoshi's grasp and sitting up straight like the lady she was supposed to be.

"That's good to know," said the waitress in the same, cheerful tone of voice that made Shion want to puke. She then said, "Bye!" and went off to the kitchen.

"Satoko," said Shion gently, placing a hand on her shoulder, "it's okay to let Satoshi-kun know you're glad he's safe. We won't think any less of you for it."

Satoko looked up. "Satoshi-_kun?"_ she said, raising an eyebrow.

Shion met Satoshi's eyes and changed the subject: "Why don't we dig in!"

* * *

"Oh," sighed Satoko as the three of them headed back to her house. "I don't think I could eat another _bite,_ I'm so stuffed."

"The food at Devil Mort is good, isn't it?" said Satoshi in agreement. "I'm glad we decided to go there for—"

"Oh!" exclaimed Shion. "That's right! I nearly forgot! Satoshi, I didn't bring my present for you tonight. Would you mind if I gave it to you tomorrow?"

"Fine by me," said Satoshi. He stopped walking, causing Shion to stop as well. What did he have to say now?

Satoshi cupped Shion's chin with his hand. "For now," he said, "I would accept this as a birthday present very much."

Before Shion had time to register what was about to happen, Satoshi leaned in with his eyes closed and lightly pressed his lips against hers. Shion's eyes widened with shock before they closed and she let herself enjoy the kiss she had been waiting eight years for...

It did not last very long; Satoshi parted from Shion after about five seconds. He smiled and said, "I'll see you tomorrow...Shion-chan."

Ignoring Satoko's gasp of both shock and delight, Shion blushed and said, "Goodnight, Satoshi-kun."

Satoko felt a grin make its way across her face, resisting the urge to childishly chant, "Nii-nii's got a girlfriend!" She could tell this was only the beginning of something that would actually go _right._


	8. Chapter 8

8

The next day, Shion and Satoshi went off on their dessert date at Angel Mort with Mion, taking a booth seat, observing the various people coming and going while waiting for their orders to arrive.

"Angel Mort really is a nice place to go to for lunch," remarked Shion. "It's nice to get a day off once in a while."

"So," said Mion with a mischievous grin on her face, "how are things going for you and Satoshi?"

Shion looked over to Satoshi, who looked back on her. Their hands made their way across the table and entwined, causing them to laugh nervously.

"Ah," said Mion, her grin spreading even further. _"More_ than just friends, eh?"

"Yes," said Satoshi awkwardly. He turned to Mion. "Shion and I kissed only just last night."

"Oh-ho-ho!" laughed Mion. "What did I tell you, onee? I knew this was going to happen! The next thing I know, you two will end up just like Keiichi and me by this time next year!"

_Wouldn't that be nice,_ thought Shion, but out loud she said, "One kiss and we're _already_ destined to be married?"

"Yeah, Mion," laughed Satoshi. "You and your wild fantasies!"

"Is Satoko taking it well?" asked Mion.

"Are you kidding?" laughed Satoshi. "She was _ecstatic_. She and Shion get along really well; I'm sure she enjoys the fantasy of Shion becoming her 'nee-nee' for real."

The smug look on Mion's face was beginning to melt off just like the snow on the window's edge. "Mion?" said Shion, concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh yeah," nodded Mion. "The smells are just a little strong."

"Smells?" said Shion. "Well, that lady sitting across from us _does_ have pretty strong perfume..."

"I mean the _food,"_ sighed Mion. "I can smell it all the way over here! It's making me nauseous!"

"What do you mean?" asked Satoshi. "I can't smell _all_ of it, and the ones I _can_ smell actually smell pretty good."

"I don't know what it is, but all of a sudden, I can smell _everything_ now," remarked Mion. "It's really strange."

Just then, one of the waitresses came out of the kitchen with their orders. Her breasts bounced and jiggled in her revealing uniform, a black sleeveless (not counting the black arm warmers), strapless low-cut dress that was quite shorter than need be. "Here you are with your orders," she said in a cheerful tone. She began handing out the two dishes: An extra-large sundae for Shion and Satoshi to share with two spoons, and Green Tea Sorbet for Mion, who looked less than hungry at the moment.

"Oh, Shion!" said the waitress. "How are you doing?"

Shion _thought_ she recognized the waitress—she had long, jet black hair and bright, navy blue eyes. But she couldn't quite put a name to her. She politely said, "Oh, I'm doing fine, thanks."

"It's too bad you're not here often enough," said the waitress. "We really miss you."

Shion felt a twinge of guilty and decided not to mention she was seriously considering quitting her job since she barely spent time at Angel Mort anymore. She said, "Well, maybe I'll see you on the street sometime."

"Maybe," said the waitress. She saw Satoshi and said with a twinkle in her eye, "Oh, you've got someone special now, eh?"

"Yes, I do," Shion quickly nodded. She could see the look of pure lust in the nearby dessert perverts' eyes and did not want to make them angry. She said, "Well, see you later."

"Bye," said the waitress, who walked off with a little skip.

Shion shrugged and said, "Well, that was a nice encounter." She picked up her spoon and said, "So, Satoshi, think you can help me finish all of this?"

"Oh, I shall," said Satoshi, grinning wickedly. He and Shion began to take dainty spoonfuls of their sundae before looking into each other's eyes, deciding "what the heck", and going at a slightly faster pace.

Shion stopped eating when she took a look at Mion and saw Mion had not touched her dessert at all and in fact looked rather sick. "Mion?" she said. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I...think so," said Mion slowly. Her eyes widened and she quickly said, "Guys, I'm sorry, but I—have—to—oh God!"

She shot up from her seat, covered her mouth with both hands, and made a mad dash to the women's washroom. Shion looked at Satoshi, worried. "Would you mind if I went after her?" she asked.

"Not at all," said Satoshi, shaking his head. "Go ahead."

Shion stood up and followed Mion to the women's washroom. As she opened the door to the washroom, she could hear Mion retching a few stalls down.

Shion took a few steps forward and sure enough, there was Mion on all fours, leaning over the nearest toilet and emptying her stomach's contents. When Mion was done, she let out a soft moan and flushed.

"You okay, Mion?" asked Shion.

"Huh?" said Mion, looking up. She had some residue on the corners of her lips, and her cheeks were bright red. "Yeah," she said. "I'll be fine. I might have a bit of the flu, that's all. Or maybe I ate something bad last night."

"Why don't we go to the clinic right now to check it out?" suggested Shion.

"Are you sure?" said Mion. "I wouldn't want to ruin your date with Satoshi."

Shion helped Mion up and said, "We'll be fine. We can always take a short walk outside the clinic. Do you want me to call Keiichi?"

"Sure," said Mion weakly. "That would be nice."

* * *

One hour later, Shion was sitting just outside the clinic with Satoshi, though the only real reason for doing so was to have some time alone while waiting for Mion's test results to come back (Mion herself was waiting inside for Keiichi to arrive).

"Remember what I said about the present last night?" asked Shion.

"Uh-huh," nodded Satoshi.

Shion pulled a navy blue velvet box out of her purse and placed it in Satoshi's hands. "Open it," she said.

Satoshi gently undid the white ribbon and opened up the box. Inside was a mahogany music box with a brass handle on the side.

"Play it," said Shion.

Satoshi turned the crank. The melody that followed was a gentle, slow one sounding just like...

"That song," said Satoshi out loud. "It's that song from when we were handcuffed together."

"Yes," nodded Shion. "The song was _Dear You."_ She smiled. "It's our song."

Satoshi stopped turning the crank. He smiled at Shion and said, "Thank you, Shion-chan." He gave her a peck on the cheek, causing Shion to lightly blush. She responded by giving him a kiss on the lips. The kiss lasted a bit longer than last night's kiss, but not that much longer.

When the two parted, they heard snickering. They turned and saw rustling in the bushes. Satoshi said, "All right, Satoko and Rika; we know you're there. Come out now."

Rika and Satoko stood up from behind the bushes, each grinning mischievously.

"I thought you were too old for those sort of tricks," commented Shion.

"Well, it's not like we _intended_ to spy on you," said Rika defensively. "We came here to see when Satoshi will come home. Nipah!"

"Yeah," said Satoko. "You were taking a while."

"Satoko," said Satoshi gently, "I thought we had this talk last night."

"It's not _that,"_ said Satoko. "You have a job interview in twenty minutes, remember?"

"Waah—!" exclaimed Satoshi, everything suddenly coming back to him now. He had ultimately asked Shion to call in a favour from her Uncle Yoshiro, who arranged a job interview for him. And if he didn't start moving at that moment, he was going to be late.

Satoshi began to run off with Satoko, holding the music box under one arm, calling out, "Bye, Shion-chan! We'll talk later tonight, okay?"

"Bye," waved Shion, feeling melancholic. She did not want Satoshi to leave. She wanted him to stay for just a bit longer, even for only a few minutes. She knew she would see him again, but still, the thought of being away from him for more than a few hours left her with a lingering feeling of loneliness in her heart.

Rika lingered behind. She turned to Shion and said, "Shion-chan, you look a little tired. Are you getting enough sleep?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," said Shion, trying to look happier.

"Are you having any bad dreams?" asked Rika.

Shion frowned. She did not like where this conversation was going. "Sometimes," she said slowly.

Rika then said in the same, mature voice she had used in Shion's nightmares, "Do you dream about killing people?"

Shion froze. She knew. How did she _know?_

"If you have any more nightmares," said Rika, "feel free to call me, and we'll talk."

Rika then solemnly walked down the trail, leaving Shion with a chill running down her spine. She nearly jumped a foot in the air when she heard someone saying, "Onee?"

Shion yelped and spun around. It was only Mion. "Oh, Mion," breathed Shion. "Don't ever sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry," apologized Mion. "It's just about time for my results to come back. I just thought I'd let you know. You can come in, if you like."

* * *

Shion sat right across Mion and Keiichi in Dr. Irie's office. He looked unusually happy, even more so than all those times he tried to persuade Satoko into trying on various maid outfits. This made her scared.

"Well, Mion, your results have come back," he said with a grin on his face.

"So what is it?" asked Mion. "The stomach flu? Something bad I ate last night?"

"No, I don't think that's it," spoke Keiichi. "I ate the same thing, too, and I'm just fine."

"Must be the flu then," shrugged Mion.

"I am very pleased to tell you both that Mion is not sick in the slightest," said Dr. Irie. "In fact...she's pregnant!"

Shion had to stifle a laugh at the look on Keiichi's face. She herself was happy for Mion (if not a tad envious). Keiichi, however, looked as though he had been told termites were eating his house.

"_What?"_ said Mion, stunned.

"You're pregnant!" said Dr. Irie cheerfully. Then, "Oh, that's _not_ a good thing?"

"No, it is," said Mion quickly. "Keiichi and I thought we were going to have a baby _later_. I didn't think I'd actually _get_ pregnant from...the honeymoon...so—wow..."

_Thud._

"Well, you're taking this a lot better than Keiichi," laughed Shion as she bent down to help Mion and Dr. Irie revive Keiichi. Perhaps now that there were so many good things in her life—being back together with Satoshi, and the prospect of becoming an aunt—she would stop having nightmares.


	9. Chapter 9

9

"Wow," said Satoshi's voice on the other line when Shion called him later that night from her apartment to tell him the news. "Mion must be thrilled."

"She's a little shocked, but she's getting over it," said Shion, smiling at the look of pure shock on Mion's face, which soon switched over to tears of joy. "Keiichi, on the other hand, well...he fainted."

"In Dr. Irie's office?" laughed Satoshi.

"Yes!" laughed Shion. "Mion said the baby most likely came from the honeymoon. I'll bet it was a surprise to _both_ of them to be having a baby so soon!"

"Wonder how your family will take it?" Satoshi mused.

"Oh, that reminds me," said Shion quickly. "Mion said she doesn't want to tell our family or the rest of our friends until she's past the first trimester—in other words, when she is absolutely _certain_ nothing will go wrong. The only reason she let me tell you was because she thought you'd figure it out anyway since you were there when she was sick. So you can't breathe a word of this to _anyone,_ not even Satoko, until Mion says it's okay."

"Okay," said Satoshi. "I promise not to tell."

"Good," said Shion. Then, "So, how did the interview go? Did I make you late?"

"I think it went pretty well," said Satoshi. "I showed up with five minutes to spare, so I wasn't _too_ late. Your uncle said he'd call me to let me know if I got the job or not. He said he might have a position for me at his toy store, but he'll call and let me know."

"Great," said Shion. Then, "Satoshi-kun, have you noticed anything...weird about Rika?"

"She seems perfectly fine to me," said Satoshi casually. "Why do you ask?"

Shion thought about telling Satoshi about what Rika had asked, but decided against it. She only said, "Oh, nothing. She just seems more mature, that's all." _Chillingly mature,_ she silently added.

"Well, she sure has grown up," said Satoshi. There was a pause on the other line before he said, "Although...come to think of it, I sometimes hear her talking to someone called 'Hanyuu' late at night. I can't hear _what_ they're talking about, but they're talking about _something_."

Hanyuu...Shion remembered Hanyuu: She was that new transfer student who had helped everyone in defeating Takano. And then she disappeared...there was something unearthly about her...

"Hanyuu was this girl who used to go to our school," explained Shion. "But then she transferred out. Maybe Rika's talking to her over the phone to keep in touch with her? I don't know." She yawned and looked up at the clock. It was getting to be rather late.

"Anyway," she said, "I'll talk to you more tomorrow, okay Satoshi-kun? Good night."

"Good night, Shion-chan," replied Satoshi.

Shion hung up the phone. She was going to get ready for bed and maybe, just maybe, she would have good dreams tonight.

* * *

_Shion cackled at the sight of the tears of pain welling up in Satoko's eyes, ignoring the never-ending pleas of "I'm sorry" in the background. "You've pretty much mastered the art of crying, haven't you? Do you really think that if you cry long enough, your nii-nii is going to save you?"_

_She once more thrust the dagger into Satoko's arm, causing Satoko to moan. Her eyes glazed over and for a brief second, Shion thought she was dead. "Satoko?" she said in a mocking sweet voice. "Can you hear me?"_

_When Satoko did not reply, Shion smacked her across the face, which got a sudden cry out of Satoko. "I'm talking to you!" snapped Shion. "Do you know why you're here, what your sin is? Are you aware it was you who made Satoshi feel trapped?"_

_To this, Satoko only moaned, "Nii-nii...nii-nii..."_

_Shion hoped Satoko was feeling guilty. To add salt to the wound, she coldly said, "That's right. All you've ever had to do was cry for your brother to come and help. One little cry and Satoshi would come running. But did you ever think of the burden that placed on him?"_

_The tears running down Satoko's cheeks both infuriated and delighted Shion. She sure hoped the point was getting across. She said with a sadistic smile on her face, "Satoshi isn't your knight in shining armour who'll always be there, nor is he invincible." She held the blood-soaked dagger up, ready to strike once more. "He's just like you."_

_She pointed the dagger at Satoko's face, causing her eyes to widen in horror. Grinning, Shion went back to stabbing Satoko again and again as though she were a punching bag. When Satoko could only lightly moan, Shion said in a mocking caring tone, "What's the matter? Has your right arm finally gone numb? Then let's switch to the left one!"_

_She then stabbed Satoko's hand, which, as made clear from the expression on Satoko's face, was most certainly not numb. However, no tears came. The tears that were once pouring down Satoko's face had dried up and she could only moan._

"_Well that's no fun," said Shion. "Are you trying to hold back the tears because you think hearing you cry and scream are the very things that egg me on?"_

"_You know," said Satoko weakly, "I thought the same thing you did."_

"_Huh?" said Shion, wondering just what Satoko was trying to say._

"_I thought it was me making him feel trapped," said Satoko in the same, weak tone, sounding like a bird with broken wings. "And that caused him to disappear."_

_Shion let out a small gasp. Satoko was really going to take responsibility for her mistake?_

"_I only saw me," said Satoko, tears lightly running down her cheeks. "And even though I knew nii-nii was struggling too, I still couldn't stop myself. I kept clinging on."_

_For a brief moment, Shion saw the look of regret in Satoko's eyes...and started feeling something similar herself. But only for a very BRIEF moment. She had gone too far to turn back now. She said, "Well that was unexpected. So you know what you've done."_

"_But I know he's going to come back!" cried Satoko, sounding stronger. "And when he does, I'm going to show him I can take care of myself now. That I don't need to hide behind his back anymore! That no matter what I'm going through, I can handle it!"_

_Shion laughed, "He's coming back, is he?" She let her laughter shake her body. Let this child have her delusions during her last few moments of her life._

"_He is gonna come back!" cried Satoko, the look pain in her eyes now replaced with a look of determination. "I know he will! And I'm gonna be here when he does! I'm gonna be here and apologize for leaning on him as much as I did! And until he's back, I won't give up! I'm gonna be strong, no matter how much it hurts. I've learned my lesson now; crying doesn't change anything, so I'm not gonna do it!"_

_Shion's eyes narrowed. Nice speech, for someone who was about to die in just a minute or two. "Really?" she said. "That's pretty tough talk for a girl like you."_

_Satoko lifted up her head. "I mean it!" she said indignantly. "If you want to stab me, go ahead; stab me!"_

_Glad to have received her permission, Shion went back to stabbing Satoko, hoping to interrupt her pathetic little speech of triumph. Amazingly enough, this did not stop Satoko from saying, "But no matter how much you hurt me, no matter how much you try to make me cry, I won't do it! Nii-nii, I hope you're watching. I hope you can see how much stronger I am now. And no matter what happens, I'm not going to give up! Not to her!"_

_That makes two of us, thought Shion, stabbing even harder, aiming for the kill._

_Satoko finally cried out, "Someone as pathetic as she is could never make me cry!"_

_Shion let out a ferocious cry and went for the head, which finally shut the brat up. The room went silent, the only sound being that of Shion panting, not quite believing what she had done. She was only alerted by the sound of her dagger hitting the floor. Her head shot up and she cried out, "Satoshi? Where are you? I've been waiting for you? I've been waiting for you ever since the last time we spoke!"_

_And that was when one of the last few times they had ever spoken rang through her head: "I'm leaving Satoko up to you, Mion. Okay?"_

* * *

Shion thought her screaming was part of the dream until she realized she was now sitting all the way up in bed, her heart pounding so loud she was scared it would wake up Kasai.

"That wasn't a dream," moaned Shion, placing her face in her hands. "There's no way that could be a dream. It was real."

How could she live on like this—having intense nightmares about killing innocent people? Not knowing what was real and what was a dream?

"_If you have any more nightmares, feel free to call me and we'll talk."_

In that moment, Shion did not care what time it was, or whether it would be an inconvenience to anyone. If Rika knew what these dreams meant, then she had to talk to her. She had to know the truth. She leapt out of bed and snatched up the phone on her dresser, frantically dialling Rika's phone number, desperately praying for Satoshi or Satoko _not_ to answer it.

"Please pick up the phone, Rika," muttered Shion. "Please, _please_ pick up the phone..."

"Shion," said Rika's solemn voice on the other line, "is that you?"

"Yes," breathed Shion, relieved. "Can you come over? It's urgent."

* * *

Half an hour later, Shion and Rika were sitting together at the dining table, drinking green tea. Not even a sip of this tea could calm down the shaking Shion.

"So," said Rika, "you said these dreams of yours feel as though they're really happening?"

"Yes, and that's what scares me," said Shion, wrapping her hands around the steaming hot cup, hoping to soothe her nerves. "I feel like I really _did_ kill all those people. But I _know_ I didn't actually _do_ it. And yet it feels like I _did._ Does that make any sense?"

"Shion-chan," said Rika, "does it feel like you're in another _world_ when you have these dreams?"

"Yeah, a bit," said Shion, feeling a bit calmer. "But then again, aren't we always in another world when we dream?"

"Yes, but in your case, you were in another world in quite a literal sense," said Rika in her mature tone.

"Huh?" said Shion, now confused. "Wait, Rika, just answer this for me—did I, or did I not, kill those people?"

Rika took a sip of her tea before answering, "Yes and no. Yes, you did kill them. But no, not in this world. You killed them in another world."

Shion looked more confused than ever. Rika sighed and calmly explained what had been happening: How she had been murdered in the other worlds, how Hanyuu had reincarnated her time and time again in hopes of finding a world where she would live to see past June of 1983, how in each world one person would be driven insane by their fear and paranoia brought on by Hinamizawa syndrome, and how Shion herself had fallen victim to this in one of these worlds.

"You are not the only one to remember these worlds," Rika concluded. "In other worlds, Keiichi realized his sin of not trusting and not forgiving his friends, which ended in tragedy for Mion and Rena. After that, he began turning to us more and more. Some do not remember what happened directly. Some retain these memories in their subconscious and learn from them. Satoko gained her independence with maturity, yes, but she also gained it with her memories from the worlds where she promised herself she would be strong for Satoshi. Rena, like Keiichi, realized she could turn to us whenever she had a problem and seldom kept secrets hidden from us. And while there was only one world where Mion ever killed, she learned from that world: She became the closest friend we could ever know." She took a sip of tea and said, "Even you learned subconsciously long before your memories ever surfaced."

"Me?" said Shion, surprised.

Rika nodded and said, "Remember all those instances where you would protect Satoko from getting hurt? From when you would come to her aid just when she was about to be on the receiving end of Keiichi's wrath over her pranks? Or when you would rush to her aid whenever she was sick, even if you yourself fell down with her illness a week later? That comes from you remembering your promise to Satoshi, from when you realized you had not done what he asked of you in that other world. You resolved to yourself that from then on, you would keep Satoko safe, no matter what the cost."

An uncomfortable silence followed. What Rika had just explained sounded too crazy to be true...and yet, what other explanation _was_ there?

"And...Takano...?" asked Shion.

Rika explained, "The police showed me Takano's suicide note on the day she killed herself. They were wondering if I had anything to do with it because of what the note had said. The note said that Takano had dreams of massacring hundreds of innocent villagers, of having me brutally murdered time and time again, of having her lover murdered. She could no longer deal with the confusion of reality and fiction, of not knowing if she actually did such deeds or if she was only dreaming. And so, she took her gun from the closet, had it refilled, and shot herself."

Rika's calm, reflective violet eyes met Shion's shocked emerald ones: "I am afraid the same might happen to you unless you learn how to deal with your guilt."

"So," said Shion softly, "how do I do that? How do I deal with having done something so horrible that I did in another world?"

"You need to forgive yourself, Shion," said Rika calmly. "You need to come to terms with your inner demons. Even if you never put a gun to your head—and I sincerely hope you do not—your guilt will hold you back from reaching your full potential with Satoshi. If you want to be happy with him, you will need to let go and move on."

Rika looked up at the clock. "It's just about two-thirty," she said. "I should be going."

"Thank you for stopping by, Rika," said Shion, glad to have had someone to talk this over with. "I hope I didn't wake up Satoshi or Satoko?"

"Those two would sleep through a hurricane," was Rika's reply as she went to get her coat. Before leaving, she turned around and said, "By the way...you haven't been tested for Hinamizawa syndrome yet, have you?"

"No," said Shion. "Why do you ask?"

"Just get it done as soon as it is convenient for you," said Rika, reaching for the doorknob. "Otherwise, it may end in disaster."

Shion sat at the table long after Rika left, contemplating what she had just been told, before cleaning up the tea cups and going back to bed. Rika's explanation was almost hard to believe...and yet made the most sense.

"So," said Shion softly as she sat up in bed, "I _did_ kill all those people."

She lay down in curled up into a ball. "Grandma," she said softly, going over her victims in her head, "Kimiyoshi...Rika...Satoko...onee..."

Tears welled up in her eyes. She buried her face in her pillow and began sobbing. Her grandmother was still alive, but it was anyone's guess as to how much longer she would be around for. Kimiyoshi had died of natural causes last year. And Rika and Satoko and Mion...they were still here. And in another universe...she had killed them...

"I'm sorry everyone," sobbed Shion. "I'm so sorry!"

She continued to sob how sorry she was, soaking her pillow with tears, until she had somehow fallen back asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

10

Mion's pregnancy continued right into her second trimester with no complications, giving her the blessing to gather her family for dinner to give them the joyous news on a warm evening in early May.

"Oh, congratulations dear!" gushed Akane, who gave her daughter a tight hug. "You must be so happy!"

"I am," said Mion, her eyes filling up with tears. Embarrassed, she wiped them off on her sleeve and added, "The baby is due November twelfth. Keiichi and I have been holding off on all plans until we were absolutely _sure_ nothing would go wrong. And if we've made it this far...I guess nothing will."

Shion looked around the table. She saw her father shaking hands with Keiichi, who had by now accepted he was going to be a father and looked quite pleased; next to them were Keiichi's parents who each took their turn to give their son a hug; around the rest of the table, the members of the family were shaking hands. Glad to see everyone so happy, Shion said, "So, Mion...when do you think you'll start shopping for maternity clothes?"

"Not for another few weeks yet," replied Mion. "Some of my clothes still fit me." She looked over to her wordless, expressionless grandmother. "Grandma, say something," she urged. "Aren't you happy? You're getting a great-grandchild!"

Oryou opened her mouth and spoke: "We are assuming now I'm going to _live_ to see my first great-grandchild?"

"Mother," said Akane gently, but Oryou only said, "Congratulations for you both. I am hoping that once I pass on, you, Mion, will undertake the responsibility of raising the baby to be the Sonozaki heir?"

"I promise," said Mion solemnly.

The atmosphere had grown darker all of a sudden. It was easy to forget Oryou was getting sicker more frequently now, and that the chances of her living to see the following year were slim. She still kept up her tough demeanour despite being in bed almost all the time nowadays. It was easy to think of her as invisible, that nothing could ever harm her.

Shion spoke: "So, Grandma, are you feeling any better?"

Oryou's eyes met Shion's. Shion suddenly felt chilled. She could not read the expression in her grandmother's eyes. Was she annoyed by such a question? Was she grateful someone was worried about her, even if that someone was her least favourite grandchild?

"I am feeling perfectly fine at the moment, thank you," said Oryou politely.

Shion looked away. She picked up her chopsticks and went back to eating.

* * *

Rena was equally thrilled to be finding out one of her closest friends was also expecting, if only because she had someone willing to shop for more baby clothes with her (on the condition that Mion stop her from buying every single cute clothing item in the store, that is; at the last store she went to, she bought just about every single "cute" thing she could get her hands on). While the two were about a semester or so apart, they supported each other equally, and could not wait for the yearly Watanagashi festival to roll around.

Which was why Mion was a bit concerned when she and the others went to pick up Rena and she didn't answer the door. "Rena-chan?" said Mion. "It's us. Ready to go to the Watanagashi festival?"

There was a moment's silence before Rena opened the door. She looked a bit down, which was to be expected as she stretched into the final, uncomfortable stage. "I don't feel too good," said Rena slowly. "I think I'm going to the clinic if I still don't feel good after ten minutes."

"Is it the baby, Rena-chan?" asked Rika. "It can't be on the way already! You're not due for another few weeks!"

"I know, and that's what worries me," said Rena, rubbing her now _enormous_ belly.

"Do you need one of us to stay with you?" asked Shion.

"No thank you," said Rena, shaking her head. "Kiyoshi says he'll stay here and wait with me. So don't worry about me; I'll have company." She smiled. "Go off to the Watanagashi and have fun without me."

"Okay, Rena," said Mion, who took a step back. "We'll talk later."

"Bye everybody," said Rena with the same smile on her face, closing the door.

The others headed off. "Boy, I hope Rena's okay," said Keiichi. "She looked pretty awful."

"She'll be fine," said Mion assuredly, though she sounded more like she was telling this to herself than to the others. "She's made it through worse than this."

Shion changed the subject: "Satoshi should be getting off work just about now. How about I go pick him up and meet the rest of you at the Watanagashi festival?"

"Sure, go ahead," said Mion. As Shion walked off, she noticed Mion's hand was entwined with Keiichi's. She smiled and continued to walk, imagining that being herself and Satoshi in a few years from now.

* * *

The sky was fading into a canvas of yellow and orange by the time Shion and Satoshi arrived at the Watanagashi festival, which just made everything look all the more beautiful.

"It's been _years_ since I was last at the Watanagashi festival!" remarked Satoshi, looking around at everything like a small child who was seeing it all for the first time. "How could I have forgotten all this?"

"It's too bad Rena-chan can't come," said Satoko. "She would love what they're doing this year!"

"Eh, it's also a pity I won't be able to participate in the eating competitions either," said Mion, patting her stomach. "There are some foods I'm sure the baby would not like. However," her eyes turned to Keiichi with a mischievous look in them, "I will still be acting as the judge. And Keiichi-kun, you had _better_ not disappoint this year!"

"Where to first, Mii-chan?" asked Satoko.

"Let's start with the shaved ice," declared Mion. "Remember, everyone: Do not let a stand go uneaten. Give it your all, and make me proud!"

"Yeah!" declared everyone, putting up their fists together. They ran off to the shaved ice booth, each ordering a different flavour.

When they were each holding their individual cups, Mion said, "On your mark...get set..._GO!"_

And thus, everyone began to dig in, going faster and faster before Rika and Satoko cried out, _"BRAIN FREEZE!"_ Within a minute, Keiichi groaned and set his cup aside, glaring at his cheerfully pregnant wife. Shion and Satoshi ate faster and faster until Satoshi cried out in pain and dropped his cup, his eyes rolling.

"And the winner is...Sonozaki Shion!" declared Mion.

"Ow," moaned Satoshi, rubbing his aching head. He had forgotten just how cold shaved ice could be.

"Take it easy, Satoshi-kun," said Shion, patting Satoshi on the back.

"On to the next booth," declared Mion, but just as she and the others were about to head off, a tall man began to run towards them. It took them about a minute to recognize him as Rena's father; he had aged quite a bit during the past seven years.

"Girls," he panted, "it's Rena. She's gone into labour."

"What!"

"But it's too early!"

"She's off by a few weeks, but the doctor says the baby _should_ be fine," said Mr. Ryuugu, who looked as though he was trying to convince himself of this. "Rena, however, is very worried, even with her husband there. I'll be going off to visit her now. I just came by to see if any of you would like to come with."

Mion looked over to Shion, who smiled and said, "You guys go on; Satoshi-kun and I will stay and do all the traditional activities for you."

"Are you sure, Shion-chan?" asked Rika, but Satoko smiled and said, "Oh, they'll be just _fine_ if we leave them here for a few hours, won't you guys?" She winked at the two.

"Oh sure, we'll just go home later tonight, and we'll talk then," said Shion, smiling at Satoko.

Mion smiled at the pair. "Goodbye, onee," she said as she and the others turned to walk off, "and good luck!"

Satoshi turned to Shion. "Now what would you need good luck with exactly?" he asked suspiciously. "With winning over my heart?"

"Oh, maybe, maybe not," said Shion flirtatiously with a flip of her hair. Ever since her revelation that she hadn't really been dreaming about the worlds where she killed Satoko after all, she had been taking it slow with Satoshi—they still dated, they still flirted, but it didn't go much further than kissing and a bit of light-hearted banter.

"Be careful," said Satoshi who, instead of patting her head, took a strand of it and pushed it behind her ear. "You're winning." He lightly kissed her for a minute or two before pulling back.

They were aware now of whispering around them. They heard people saying, "Look! It's that Houjou boy with the granddaughter of Sonozaki Oryou!"

Shion simply shrugged and wrapped her arms around Satoshi to give him another short yet sweet and satisfying kiss before separating and running off with him to finish their eating competition. Let the others say what they want; it didn't matter.

* * *

Satoshi stood at the river's edge, watching everybody picking off a piece of cotton and placing it down on the drifting stream. It had been years since he had last done this. He hadn't had any time to just _relax._ On the night of his last chance to be able to attend the festival, he was too busy killing his aunt to...

Satoshi tore off a piece of cotton. His sin was being unable to forget...and tonight, he would rid himself of that sin. He held the ball in his hand for a minute or two, as though it were a delicate piece of snow. Finally, he bent down and placed it in the river, and it quietly floated down the continuously winding stream.

Satoshi turned to see Shion also looking at her cotton ball with much thought. She looked cute when she was deep in thought about something...and she seemed to be lost in her thoughts a lot lately. As attractive as it made her look, it made Satoshi wonder. What was Shion thinking about? Was she really thinking about which career to pursue as she claimed? Or was she thinking about their relationship? Recently, she had been pulling away from their kisses more and more, and seemed almost reluctant to hold hands.

Was Shion beginning to have doubts about the two of them? Had she remembered that she was a Sonozaki, and he was a Houjou? Satoshi quickly dismissed this thought—the disagreement over the dam construction had been years ago. People must have let go of the incident by now, right? Shion at least _must_ have forgotten—besides which, her sister had always been friendly to Satoshi in spite of their differing opinions; they left the fighting to the grown-ups. Shion hadn't let her grandmother influence her opinion...right?

Shion placed the small flake of cotton down into the river, bending next to Satoshi. She said, "Satoshi-kun, why do you look so serious?"

"Why do you?" replied Satoshi.

Shion blinked and looked away. "Well," she said, "I've just been thinking...Satoshi-kun, do you think we're falling too fast?"

"Well," said Satoshi slowly, "maybe a _little_ bit." He patted Shion's head. "But I don't see anything wrong with that."

Shion turned back to face Satoshi. She let out a small laugh and smiled. She and Satoshi stood up and held hands. Satoshi gently stroked the surface of Shion's hand with his thumb. So she was just afraid they were taking things too fast. Fair enough—they had gone a bit quickly. Perhaps he would take things slow from now on. As for tonight, though...

"Shion-chan," said Satoshi, "how about we go a little further down the bank to where it's more private?"

"Okay," nodded Shion. She and Satoshi, still holding hands, took a walk down the path winding around the river, listening to the sounds of the cicadas crying. Tonight, the cicadas sounded very peaceful.

They stopped a little ways down when the other people behind were only mere shapes. Staring out at the river, Satoshi said, "Shion-chan...how slow do you want me to take it?"

"A bit slow," said Shion, looking out ahead. "But a bit fast."

The two turned to face each other. Satoshi said, "Shion...would you define a confession as going too fast?"

"Depends on what the confession is," said Shion.

Satoshi smiled and wrapped his arms around Shion, holding her close. She placed her head on his shoulder. Still smiling, Satoshi whispered the words he had been longing to say for some time: "I love you, Shion."

He heard her gasp. Was this a good sign? Did she accept his confession? She only whispered, "Satoshi-kun..."

They separated at the sound of footsteps. Satoko ran up to the happy couple, her blonde hair bouncing in the wind. She said, "Rena-chan says she's going to be okay for tonight. She says she'll call us in the morning if anything else happens. I'll just be going home now."

Satoshi looked over at Shion, who only smiled and said, "I'll see you tomorrow, Satoshi-kun."

Satoshi walked off with Satoko, exchanging one last glance with Shion before heading off into the night.

* * *

The next morning, Rena called to tell everyone the joyful news: The baby, despite being a few weeks premature and requiring an emergency c-section, as well as a bit of treatment, was perfectly safe and healthy—more specifically, the _babies _were safe and healthy. Rena had given birth to beautiful twin daughters and was holding one of them while her husband held the other just as the others came to visit her in the afternoon.

"Aren't they cute?" squealed Rena, tears of joy welling up in her eyes. "I'm taking them home with me!"

"My, this one looks just like you, Rena-chan," remarked Mion as she sat down in a rather uncomfortable hospital chair, looking at the girl Rena was holding—she did indeed have her mother's set of red hair, while the baby being held by her father had much darker hair.

"This one is Hana," said Rena, smiling at her daughter's sleeping face. "The other one is Yuri."

"Ah, so they have flower names, eh?" said Keiichi.

"Yes," said Rena, snuggling Hana. "I love flower names."

"They're adorable, Rena-chan," said Rika, gently stroking Yuri's soft cheeks.

"I want to take _them_ home with me!" declared Satoko.

"Ah, ah, ah," said Rena, waving a finger. "I got first call."

"Aw, no fair," said Satoko playfully, pretending to pout.

As Rena began to tell everyone how she and Kiyoshi had been surprised by the revelation they were having twins as the first ultrasound only showed one baby and they had discovered right before the necessitated c-section she was actually carrying two, Satoshi said to Shion, "Kiyoshi sure is quiet."

"Rena says he's a bit shy," said Shion. "She says he's a real chatterbox when it's just the two of them, but he's very quiet in front of company."

Shion observed how happy Rena looked with her newborn daughter, carefully handing her over to Satoko. She also saw Keiichi and Mion smiling at each other, knowing this would be them in just a few months. She realized then that this was what she wanted for herself and Satoshi—she didn't want to be held back by these dreams—er, subconscious flashbacks—of hers. If they didn't happen in this world, then everything would be okay.

Shion softly whispered in Satoshi's ear, "About your confession last night...I would like to return it."

Satoshi turned to Shion, who spoke the words she thought she would never get the chance to say: "I love you, Satoshi-kun." Satoshi replied by giving her a soft kiss on the head. Things were heading in the right direction.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: This chapter won't have any Satoshion action, sorry to disappoint you on that. I want some chapters to be character-driven (chapters that focus on developing the characters), whilst I want others to be plot-driven (chapters that develop the plot), and some to be a bit of both. This one will be character-driven, exploring the bonds between the Sonozaki women, because a bit of feminine bonding is required to make certain scenes in the last few chapters more believable.**

11

It was on a nice, sunny day in mid-July that Mion had planned on having a girl's day out with her sister and her mother, which Shion especially looked forward to. She and her mother hadn't had a chance to really speak to one another in so long, and Shion was feeling a bit anxious about the opportunity to get to hang out with her. Perhaps she would feel more relaxed if Mion went along.

However, on the day they were supposed to meet up at Oryou's house and go from there, Mion had some news for them: "Grandma woke up this morning feeling awful. I'm going to stay here with Keiichi and look after her."

"You don't have to, Mion," called out Keiichi from indoors. "I'll stay here and look after her. You go on ahead."

"No, Keiichi-kun, I should stay and help," Mion called back. "I don't think she likes you too much."

"Ah, she'll warm up to me soon enough," said Keiichi.

Mion turned to Shion and Akane. "I think I'd better stay behind," she said. "Just in case grandma has enough strength to give Keiichi a piece of her mind."

* * *

Shion felt awkward to be hanging out with her mother like they were old friends, like they hadn't been going about their own business until now. She was at a bit of a loss of what to say when the two of them went for a walk through the forest together, the cicadas crying in the background.

Shion finally managed to say, "Will Mion and Keiichi be okay by themselves...with grandma?"

"Oh, don't worry about a thing," said Akane with a wave of her hand. "Your grandmother's really a big teddy bear. She's just a teddy bear with sharp teeth, that's all."

Shion lightly chuckled at this comment. Akane said, "She cares for the family, you know. And for the entire village. There's a reason she does things the way she does."

"So there was a reason for you being disinherited?" Shion asked without thinking.

A look of surprise made its way across Akane's face before she calmly said, "Yes. I married an outsider."

"Mion married an outsider, yet _her_ marriage with Keiichi received grandma's blessing," pointed out Shion.

"True, but Keiichi has lived in the village for years," said Akane. "Your father only set foot in here a few times. And besides," she smiled, "I'm afraid you inherited my tact in expressing my love for another person."

"Oh," said Shion. "Did you ever have to...distinguish yourself, too?"

Akane shook her head. "No," she said. "We weren't in the torture chamber at the time, thank goodness."

"What was your relationship with dad like?" asked Shion, now curious to find out if what her mother had with her father was anything like what Shion had with Satoshi, as Kasai had claimed.

The two women stopped on an area of the trail where the cicadas were a bit quieter. "You could say it was love at first sight," said Akane. "From the moment I first saw him, I knew he was the one. I saw him whenever possible, not caring about his Yakuza connections, or that he was an outsider. No, all that mattered to me was our love. I would've done _anything,_ even commit murder, just to be with him."

She looked at Shion curiously. "I have heard you're becoming very friendly with that Houjou boy," she said. "Some people are even saying it's just like me and your father."

"Oh," said Shion, feeling her face growing warm. "Well, uh...it's kind of like that."

"Is he that boy you had to distinguish yourself for?" asked Akane.

Shion looked down and muttered, "Yes."

"Ah, now, don't be ashamed," said Akane, lifting her daughter's chin up. "It's wonderful to be young and in love."

_So why didn't you say anything that day?_ thought Shion. _Why did you just sit there and watch me suffer?_

"It's been years since the dam conflict," continued Akane. "I don't think anyone would mind too much if you and the Houjou boy were to—"

"Satoshi," interrupted Shion. "His name's Satoshi."

"Right, Satoshi," nodded Akane. "Well if the two of you should ever elope, then you may very well be repeating history, now won't you?"

She laughed and said, "You know, Mion's not the only one in our family to become pregnant from the honeymoon. It wasn't until six weeks after your father and I had eloped that we discovered we were expecting you and your sister. I knew then I _had_ to return and try to reconcile with your grandmother, to tell her she would be having a new Sonozaki heir."

"And?" inquired Shion. "Was she pleased?"

"Yes and no," said Akane slowly. "She would've preferred the father be anyone but my husband, but she was willing to have me stay long enough to have the baby, and take it under my wing to raise for the first couple years or so of its life before having it go live with her."

She sighed and shook her head sadly, now becoming more serious. "You may already know you were supposed to have been strangled before your first bath. Well...I was hoping for the day to come when I could explain while you are here...and now, I think, it is appropriate for me to tell you what happened shortly after you were born..."

* * *

_Akane's heart had sunk when she felt the urge to bear down a second time—not because of the pain she would have to endure once more, but because of what was to come for the poor infant to be born. And now, the second child she had bonded with long before realizing she had been carrying two of them, was about to have the first few minutes of her life cut short._

_The umbilical cord had been cut. The screaming baby was placed down on the cloth next to the calm, sleeping baby wrapped up in a warm blanket. Akane, despite feeling as though she had just come out of a sumo match, struggled to sit up on the mat. She saw her mother order the attendants out of the room. She saw her march up to the protesting Saburou—"You can't do this! They're my children!"—and have him forcibly removed from the room before having the doors slid closed._

_Akane felt her heart beat at a much faster pace, nearly drowning out the cries of the yet-to-be-washed baby. She spoke, "Mother..."_

"_Look away, Akane," said Oryou calmly yet firmly as she walked up to the babies. "It will be less painful if you're not watching."_

"_Mother, please..."_

"_You know the tradition: The youngest twin must be strangled before their first bath. Having twin heirs is a bad omen. Now look away."_

"_Mother, please don't do this."_

_Oryou was now standing above the younger child, her hands outstretched. She turned to Akane and said, "Akane, turn away and close your eyes."_

"_No," said Akane, her voice quivering. "No mother, I will not turn a blind eye to this sin. I will lie here and watch as you murder one of my babies. I will not say a word. I will not protest. But once you are done, I will take the surviving twin, run far away with Saburou to America, and never speak to you ever again. And should the child ever ask of her grandmother when she is older, I will tell her you are dead. You will have no one to pass the Sonozaki name down to. The legacy will end right here."_

_Oryou's eyes widened with shock. Aside from Akane's outbursts when she declared her unwavering love for Saburou, she had never seen her so angry. And she made it clear from her determined expression she was not going to look away. Oryou's hands wavered, inches away from the baby's delicate neck. Finally, they fell at her sides. Oryou sighed, "You are a piece of work, you know that? You're worse than your own father."_

_Oryou took a spare blanket and wrapped the twin up in it. She placed the now calm baby in Akane's arms. Akane's eyes filled up with tears. She held the baby close and whispered, "Thank you."_

"_Think nothing on it," said Oryou firmly. "This will be the sole exception, on the condition that the elder twin be raised to be the heir, while the youngest one will be kept hidden away."_

_Oryou held the other baby in her arms. "You, little one, will be Mion," she declared. "You will be the inheritor of "the demon."" She looked over to the twin being held by Akane. "And you will be Shion, destined to be a monk in "the temple.""_

* * *

Shion was stunned by her mother's story. She had only been told about the twin tradition shortly before being sent off to boarding school. No one had ever told her that her mother had saved her life. "Mom," she said quietly, "I...I can't believe you stood up to her like that."

"I felt I had to," said Akane, tracing the bark with her fingers. "I had enough of the Sonozaki traditions. They nearly stifled my happiness. I was not going to let them outright destroy it." She turned to Shion and said, "I may not have shown it too well over the years, but I cared for both you and your sister, and loved you both equally."

"Mom," whispered Shion before giving her mother a tearful hug. "Thank you."

She felt her mother give her a tight squeeze. How long had it been since they last had a moment as beautiful as this?

* * *

A short while later, Shion and Akane stopped by the Sonozaki household just to check on Mion. When they came, they were surprised to see Oryou sitting up in the living room drinking green tea Keiichi and Mion had prepared together.

"This should make you feel better," said Keiichi proudly, as though his tea-making abilities had made him the wealthiest man in the world.

Oryou calmly took a sip. "This is delicious," she said. "Thank you."

"I'm glad you like it, grandma," said Mion gently. She was sitting in a nearby chair, as her belly made sitting down on the floor a bit uncomfortable. She looked up and said, "Oh, hi mom! Hi onee! How'd the walk go? Sorry I couldn't come."

Akane and Shion shared a smile. "It went just fine," said Akane.

Shion looked into her grandmother's face. This woman would've had her killed had it not been for her mother's bold words...and yet, Shion could still feel a smidgen of pity for her. This woman had once been one of the most powerful figures in all of Hinamizawa, and here she was now, withering away to nothing, worrying she may never see her first great-grandchild. It was like seeing a once mighty, powerful lion now lying weakened in the grass, waiting for the sun to kill it already.

Shion said, "So, how was your afternoon?"

"Oh, it was okay," said Mion. "Grandma's feeling a little bit better now. She was miserable a few hours ago, but—"

"I'm _fine,"_ said Oryou irritably. "She's just exaggerating."

"Now, now," said Mion gently, "don't get yourself all worked up—oh!" she gasped. "I think the baby's kicking!"

Keiichi, Akane, and Shion all ran over to Mion, who rubbed her hand on the region and said, "Right there!"

Everyone was moving their hands to the alleged region all at once, but Shion managed to feel a kick—it felt like a quick pulse. "Oh, I feel it!" she said excitedly.

"There you go!" said Keiichi proudly. "Don't let your mother tell you what to do little one, or else you'll be facing a lifetime of punishment games!"

"Now why would I want to inflict that on my child when I could just settle for you?" said Mion playfully, trying not to let her sentimental feelings show.

Shion laughed. She turned around to see her grandmother looking away, swearing she could hear a melancholic sigh. Something came over her and possessed her to walk up to her grandmother and say, "Grandma? Are you okay?"

There was a pause before Oryou said, "I'm fine, Shion."

"Oh," said Shion. "Well, are you sure? You don't need anything?"

"No," said Oryou, shaking her head. "Just go."

Shion looked over to her mother, who indicated it was time to leave. The two women went off, Shion feeling she had gained better understanding about her family.


	12. Chapter 12

12

"How are the twins, Rena?"

"A lot of work, but they look so cute in their outfits; I'm glad I nearly bought out that store!"

Two weeks after Shion's little heart-to-heart with her mother, Mion's friends threw her a baby shower. As much as Mion tried not to show it, it was a very sentimental occasion for her.

"Wow, Rena," said Mion as she pulled out a pair of tiny little hand-knit boots. "These are so adorable!" She bit her lip and her eyes shimmered.

"I cried a lot at the nice gifts I got, Mion," said Rena gently.

"Th—this old man will be okay," said Mion, blinking away tears. She opened up Satoko's gift next. She gasped when she saw what it was: A homemade mobile.

"It's from all of us, onee," explained Shion. "Satoko, Satoshi, and I made it together."

This was all it took for Mion to burst into tears and give Shion a tight hug.

Akane smiled and served Oryou a cup of warm tea in a corner of the living room. Oryou was feeling well enough to come see her granddaughter's baby shower, even if she had nothing to give.

"Ah, I remember being that way," said Akane. "I remember threatening to kill Saburou if he ever touched me one minute, then bursting into tears and pulling him in for a hug the next."

"Yes, I remember quite clearly," nodded Oryou. She managed to crack a small smile when she said, "I still remember Saburou sneaking over here in the middle of the night to get you those pickles you had a craving for. He said you threatened to make him sleep outside unless he got you pickles and Western popcorn."

She frowned and took a closer look at Shion. By now, Mion had stopped hugging Shion and was wiping her tears off with her sleeve, deeply embarrassed. Shion was standing next to Satoshi, the two at a seeming loss for what to say before Satoshi began to talk to her. "Those two," said Oryou slowly, "they seem rather close. He's that Houjou boy, isn't he?"

"His name is Satoshi," said Akane without thinking.

"Oh?" said Oryou. "He's that boy Shion distinguished herself for. They look happy together."

"Yes, they are," nodded Akane fervently. "More tea?"

Oryou held up a hand. "No thank you," she said as Satoshi and Shion laughed together. "I'm not feeling particularly thirsty at the moment."

* * *

"That's a really bizarre dream, Rena-chan," remarked Rika.

"I know, it's really weird," said Rena. "But for some funny reason, Tomitake and Takano _both_ fell in love with me, and I fell in love with Oishi." She sighed, "Maybe that dream came from my being overtired from getting up to the twins."

Just then, Keiichi came running into the room. "Mion-chan," he said, "there is one more present waiting for you. But," a sly grin made its way across my face, "your mother tells me she hid it somewhere in this house. We will be playing our _own_ little game. We will be having a treasure hunt...complete with a punishment game."

"Oh-ho-ho?" said Mion, raising an eyebrow. "So _you're_ calling the shots now, eh, Keiichi-kun? What will the punishment game be this time?"

Keiichi grinned. "The losers," he said, "in other words, the people who do not find the treasure, will have to wear maid outfits on the way home."

"Why do you inflict this on yourself, Keiichi-kun?" scoffed Mion, rolling her eyes. "Do _you_ even know where my mother put it?"

"Of course I do!" said Keiichi boldly. However, the expression on his face made it clear he hadn't the slightest idea where Akane hid the present.

"Can we split up into teams?" asked Shion.

Before Keiichi could answer that, Akane spoke: "Of course you may. After all, finding it together is half the fun." She winked knowingly at Shion.

"In that case," said Mion, latching arms with Keiichi, "I'll be going with Keiichi-kun."

Satoko and Rika exchanged a smile and instantly linked arms.

Satoshi cleared his throat. "Ah, Shion," he said, fully aware Oryou was boring her eyes into his neck, "would you mind going with me?"

"But of course," said Shion quickly, standing an inch beside Satoshi but not holding his hand.

"So," said Rena, "who will Rena-chan be with?"

"I'll go with you, Rena," spoke up Akane, walking forward. "This was my idea, after all. And besides," she grinned, "with my help, we should find the present in no time."

"Hey, no fair!" cried out Keiichi. "That's cheating!"

"Ah, ah, ah," said Akane, wagging a finger. "I only agreed to this game on the condition that I be allowed to do more than _just_ hide the present, right Keiichi?"

The look on Keiichi's face fell. "So this is why people hate their in-laws," he muttered. He cleared his throat and declared, "On your mark...get set..._GO!"_

* * *

"This is just like old times," said Shion as she and Satoshi searched Keiichi and Mion's room. "I feel like I'm seventeen again."

"It sure is nice to be reminded of those good old days when everything was carefree, isn't it?" said Satoshi as he searched underneath the bed.

"Yeah, it sure is," said Shion with a melancholic sigh. "I didn't participate in the club activities too often since I went to a different school, but I came whenever I could, mostly to keep Satoko safe just in case she went a little too far."

"I'm glad to hear you've been keeping Satoko safe," said Satoshi, now searching beneath the pillows. "I can't imagine how scared she must have been when I disappeared."

"She missed you all right," said Shion quietly, pulling various drawers open. "But I did what you asked me to—I took care of her. I would stop by her and Rika's house to help her get ready for bed every once in a while. I protected her from anything that might have been too dangerous for her to handle. I was even there for her when she went through puberty—I helped her buy her first bra, and I was there to give her 'equipment' when she had her first you-know-what."

"Period?" said Satoshi. He laughed. "It's okay, Shion; I was given the 'birds and the bees' talk a long time ago. I know what happens to girls when they reach a certain age."

"Right," said Shion, who opened up the closet. She and Satoshi bent down and pulled out a large box in pink wrapping paper.

"A-ha!" declared Satoshi. "This must be the present! Now we won't have to walk home in maid uniforms after all!"

"Too bad," giggled Shion. "You would've looked kind of cute in one."

"No, I wouldn't," said Satoshi crossly. He grinned. "But you would."

He leaned in and kissed her. Shion returned the kiss with several more passionate kisses, this time not holding back. Because their eyes were closed, they felt as though they were floating as they stood up and walked over to the bed, only to fall right onto it.

With Satoshi on top of Shion, the kissing grew more intense and quickly turned into making out. Satoshi ran one hand through Shion's long, green hair and down her back. Shion held Satoshi closer to her, wrapping her arms around his back. If this was going to go further than they had intended, so be it. His other hand made its way to Shion's right leg, running its way up her knee and to her skirt. He began to scrunch up the skirt...

That was when they heard a soft _creak._

Satoshi lifted his face off of Shion's. The two turned to see a gaping Rena standing in the doorway, who was currently looking at Satoshi on top of Shion with one hand on her back and the other about to scrunch up her skirt. It would've been perfectly natural for anyone to think what Rena was thinking.

"Rena," said Satoshi carefully, getting himself off of Shion, "this isn't what it looks like..."

"Hauu!" squealed Rena, her eyes lighting up. "You two are so cute together! I'm taking you home with me!"

"No need for that," said Shion quickly, leaping up off the bed. "Because Satoshi and I were just leaving. Heh-heh, heh..."

"Oh, and uh, we found the present," said Satoshi, leaping off the bed just as quick. "So, uh...tell Keiichi he lost. Heh-heh."

Shion felt a warm blush creep up her neck. She said, "By any chance, is my mother with you?"

"Uh-uh," said Rena, shaking her head. "She's helping your grandmother with something right now."

"Oh good," breathed Shion. "Well, don't tell her, or _anyone,_ what you saw, okay?"

"Okay!" nodded Rena happily. "Just as long as I get to take the wrapping paper home with me! It might make for a good decoration on the twins' wall!"

* * *

"Bye, everyone!" said Mion, standing in the doorway wearing a maternity maid uniform that was just a little low-cut. "I'll see you later!"

"See you later, Mii-chan!" said Satoko, her maid uniform blowing softly in the wind.

"You look really nice in a maid uniform, Keiichi!" said Rika, who had a cute little cat tail attached to her dress. "Nipah!"

"Thanks, Rika," said Keiichi dryly, closing the door before the neighbours had a chance to see him in his maid uniform.

Rena, who looked particularly happy in hers, walked off with the others. "I don't know about you, but I had a fun time today," she said. "It felt like an old club meeting again."

"It's too bad the club disbanded after Mii-chan went to university," sighed Satoko. "Rika-chan and I play cards once in a while, but we wish we still had you guys around."

"Do you wish _I_ were around, Satoko?" said an all-too familiar male voice. Out from behind a tree, Dr. Irie cheerfully skipped onto the path.

"Oh no," sighed Satoshi. "Not _this_ again."

"Now, now, Satoshi-kun," said Dr. Irie playfully, "I think you know just as much as I do that Satoko-chan is just too adorable in a maid uniform to resist! Oh, if only I had a ring with me now..."

"And even if you did," said Satoko, "the answer would be no. I've got school to finish."

"A few more years at least," begged Dr. Irie, getting on his knees.

"We'll see," said Satoko, smiling over at Rika, who just laughed.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" cried out Dr. Irie, getting up and doing a victory dance.

Everyone laughed. Just as they began to head off, Dr. Irie said, "Shion? May I see you for just a minute?"

"Sure," nodded Shion. She told everyone, "You go on ahead." As the others began to walk off, she said, "First of all, I never got a chance to properly thank you for bringing Satoshi-kun back to me, so...thank you, although I don't think that alone would nearly be enough."

"It is more than enough," said Dr. Irie. "However...there is something more serious I would like to discuss with you. You have yet to be tested for Hinamizawa syndrome. I really think you need to get it done as soon as possible before it gets ugly."

"Oh, I've been _meaning_ to do that," groaned Shion, slapping one hand to her forehead. "But I keep forgetting to arrange an appointment; I'm just so _busy!"_

"Well, at the moment, I am completely booked all month," said Dr. Irie. "But I might have a free spot for you next month, so drop by and see me some time, okay?"

"Okay," said Shion. "Thank you for reminding me, Dr. Irie. I'll see you later."

As Shion wandered back up the path, she couldn't help but think about what might have happened between her and Satoshi if Rena hadn't interrupted them. It was this trail of thought that caused her to forget about her talk with Dr. Irie all together...


	13. Chapter 13

13

_Shion stood at the edge of the well, gazing down into the black pit. Satoshi-kun had to be there; it was the only explanation! Mion herself had admitted to it, had she not?_

"_Hurry up!" snapped Shion. Mion, having changed into the kimono Shion had sported over the past few days, whimpered, "I'm coming." She walked over to the well's edge where Shion was standing._

_Now was her chance. Shion pulled out her taser, pressed it against Mion, and said, "I want you to go down there and apologize to Satoshi."_

"_Shion!" cried out Mion. "There's no point in me going down there; Satoshi isn't there!"_

_Shion looked over at Mion suspiciously. "What are you talking about?" she said. "You told me yourself that he was dumped in this hole." And now, she maliciously thought, Satoshi-kun now has company—hope Satoko's enjoying herself now that she's reunited with her nii-nii._

_Mion's eyes widened with desperation. "I lied," she admitted. "I liked Satoshi, too, so I confronted grandma and begged her not to hurt him. I was even prepared to kill her with my own hands if I had to! But then she told me that the Sonozaki family has nothing to do with the curse!"_

"_Liar!" said Shion angrily. How dare Mion try to weasel her way out of this by lying? The Sonozaki family had everything to do with the curse...right?_

"_I think she was telling the truth, Shion," said Mion. "I could tell by looking at her. And besides, she had already blessed your relationship with Satoshi. She told everyone it was okay!"_

_It was all Shion could do to prevent herself from having a total breakdown in that moment. Kill her...no, spare her...kill...spare...she was lying, she had to be! Why else would she have killed her own grandmother?_

"_Since you tore out your fingernails, she said she was willing to forgive and forget everything!" Mion went on, spewing out things that couldn't possibly true._

"_Liar! LIAR!" screamed Shion. "If she didn't kill Satoshi, then who did?"_

"_I have no idea," said Mion quietly._

"_You're lying!" said Shion, now on the verge of shrieking. "Look at what each of these deaths all have in common—each one of these people were marched by the Sonozaki family!"_

"_I know it's weird," admitted Mion. "Grandma thought the same thing, too. But when she asked, everyone denied it. It's not as simple as you think; everyone denied being involved!"_

"_No!" cried Shion. "If what you're saying is true I've been killing innocent people for no reason!"_

_Ah...but what if that was what Mion wanted her to think?_

_Shion laughed, "You're good! Thought you could get me with a little reverse psychology, did you?"_

"_Please believe me, Shion," begged Mion. "I am not the one who did this to you!"_

"_SHUT UP!" shrieked Shion. Now she was angry. "If you are innocent, then you'll be fine. I hear heaven's a nice place—say hello to Satoshi!"_

_She stunned Mion with the taser, causing Mion to fall over. It wasn't until the 'thud' that Shion began to realize with a haunting suspicion that Mion might have been right...._

* * *

Shion's eyes shot wide open. She could only lie there with her heart pounding wildly, beads of sweat pouring down her forehead.

This was the first time she had dreamed about that world where she killed people since her talk with Rika. Why were they coming back _now,_ of all times? She was past that now...wasn't she?

Shion sat up in bed, drew her knees up to her chest, and took a few, deep breaths to calm down. It may have happened in _that_ world...but it most certainly did _not_ happen in _this_ world...

"Maybe...maybe the others have dreamt like this," said Shion out loud. "Maybe, if I _talk_ to them, they might be able to help me understand what these mean."

* * *

A few days later, Mion and Shion stopped by Rena's house to help her look after the twins while Kiyoshi was at work. Shion decided now would be a good time to try to see if she was the only one who remembered anything from those past worlds.

"Thank you for stopping by and helping," said Rena as she sat out on the back porch with Shion, cradling Yuri in her arms while Mion attended to Hana back inside the house. "I wouldn't bother you like this, but my dad and my husband are so busy now."

"Don't sweat it," said Shion, using one finger to wipe a strand of dark hair off Yuri's forehead. "You'd do the same for us. And besides," she grinned, "if anyone should know how much work twins are, it's us."

Shion noticed the look of weary content on Rena's face as she rocked Yuri to sleep in her arms. Rena looked so peaceful right now...yet she couldn't shake off the feeling Rena hadn't been so peaceful in other worlds...

"Rena," spoke up Shion, "by any chance...you wouldn't happen to have strange dreams, would you?"

"What kind of dreams?" asked Rena.

"Dreams about..." Shion lowered her voice. "Killing people."

Rena stopped rocking Yuri. She turned to Shion and said, "I used to have those kind of dreams. The only person I ever told about them was my father. Not even Kiyoshi knows." She looked to the left and right, as though afraid someone was listening. "There was this woman my father used to date back when we were in school. He was always spending a lot of money on her. And then...one night, I had this dream where I killed his girlfriend...and then Satoko's uncle...and then I held the school hostage because I thought they were somehow involved with aliens or something like that—I still don't know why."

She shook her head. "But it was all just a dream, of course. There's no need to worry about it now."

Shion forced a tight smile. "Right."

* * *

"Dreams?" said Keiichi later that day when Shion walked Mion home and met him at the door. "What do you mean by...dreams?"

"Dreams where you kill people," said Shion bluntly.

Keiichi paled, but Mion laughed. "Oh, Shion, you've never been one to beat around the bush!"

"Actually," said Keiichi, "I..._did_ have dreams like that a while back. I used to dream that I killed Satoko's uncle with my bare hands, and it ended with me getting thrown off a bridge. And then there was this one dream where..." His voice faltered.

"You killed me and Rena," said Mion bluntly.

"Right," said Keiichi slowly.

"You know, it's funny, but I actually remember you telling me about that dream at one point," remarked Mion.

"Really?" said Keiichi. "I thought this was the first time I was telling you."

"Talk about déjà vu," remarked Shion.

"You know," spoke up Mion, "I actually _did_ have this...dream." She shook her head. "It's really weird, but...I dreamed I somehow got the idea everyone in the club was out to steal Keiichi from me, and so I killed everyone. Even you."

Shion realized she had been subconsciously rubbing her neck as Mion spoke, as though she could remember being asphyxiated, feeling the burning sensation in her lungs, the stars before her eyes, the crazy wild look in Mion's eyes, finally being greeted by merciful oblivion...

"Why do you ask, anyway?" asked Mion. "Is something wrong?"

"Kind of," admitted Shion. She smiled and was quick to add, "But if it was all just a dream, then there's nothing to worry about, right?"

"Right," said Mion, smiling.

There was a soft banging noise from inside. Keiichi sighed, "That must be your grandmother. Well, it was nice talking to you, Shion."

* * *

Shion had a nice, light summer dinner at Satoko and Rika's later that night. She was helping Satoko wash the dishes, contemplating how to ask her the question.

"Satoko," said Shion, "are you sure you don't mind me and Satoshi being together?"

"Not at all!" chirped Satoko. "Why are you so uncertain about me approving of this relationship, Shion? Why wouldn't I be happy?"

_Because I killed you over it in another world?_

"Because we're all adjusting to Satoshi-kun being back," said Shion, drying off the dishes and setting them on the counter. "I just want to know if this is a little fast for you."

"As long as nii-nii—I mean, Satoshi—stays, I'll be happy," said Satoko. She sighed, "I guess old habits die hard. I thought I outgrew that phrase a long time ago."

"Like you said," said Shion, putting each dish away, "old habits die hard." She paused. "Satoko-chan," she said, "may I ask you a question?"

"About?" said Satoko.

"About dreams," said Shion. She cleared her throat and said, "Satoko-chan...have you ever dreamed about killing anyone?"

Satoko's reaction was not what Shion had expected. She had expected Satoko to either laugh off the idea, blatantly deny it, or give a confession as the others had done. Instead, she stopped what she was doing and gasped. She turned to face Shion, her eyes widening, and for a moment, she became a scared child again.

"I'm sorry," said Shion quickly. "I shouldn't have asked—"

"How can you say such a thing?!?" cried Satoko. "Do you _know?_ Do you know about what I did to my...parents..."

Tears came to Satoko's eyes and she ran out of the kitchen sobbing. She ran past Rika and Satoshi in the living room/bed room and straight to the bathroom, where she slammed the door so hard, the window panes rattled.

Shion meekly walked into the room just as Satoshi turned to her and said darkly, "What did you do to her?"

Shion felt weak to her knees. She hadn't seen Satoshi _this_ angry or unhappy since what she had done to Satoko on the first day they met. "I just asked her a question," she said quietly. "I didn't realize it was a _personal_ question."

"What was the question?" said Satoshi in a dangerously calm voice.

"I...I asked her if she ever...dreamed about killing people," said Shion meekly.

Satoshi sighed and shook his head. He turned to Rika and said, "Rika-chan, go attend to Satoko in the bathroom. I need to talk with Shion."

Rika nodded. She gave Shion an indescribable look before silently heading off to the bathroom to calm down Satoko.

Satoshi turned to Shion. He put an arm around her shoulder and said quietly, now looking a bit calmer, "There's something you need to know about Satoko...something that I don't think she ever told you before."

He sat her down on the floor. Shion felt chilled by the teddy bear staring at her from a corner of the room, feeling as though it were lecturing her. "Shion," said Satoshi, "you probably know that my parents died several years ago. Well...I, like everyone else, thought it was just a tragic accident. Satoko had been behaving strangely, but I thought she was just grieving. And then...one night, the night after she came home after being treated at the clinic, I was woken up by the sound of Satoko practically _screaming_ in her sleep. I woke her up, and she sobbed everything to me. She said...she said that she had killed our parents."

Shion was stunned. The others at least had only ever _dreamed_ of killing, like herself...yet Satoko had actually _done it?_

Satoshi continued: "At the time, I thought she was just suffering from a horrible nightmare, but the next morning, she confessed everything to me: She said she had viewed our parents as threats, and, in her deranged state, pushed them off that cliff. It was only now she had come to her senses and realized what she had done." He sighed and shook his head. "All I could do was just hold her close and tell her no one ever had to know."

"Satoshi-kun," said Shion quietly, "I'm so sorry. I never even realized...I was just asking..."

"It's all right," said Satoshi, raising a hand. "You didn't know. Still...that's one hell of a question to go around asking, Shion. What possessed you to ask such a thing?"

Shion lowered her head in shame. She couldn't tell Satoshi what she had done in other worlds. She just couldn't. He wouldn't believe her, for one thing; and even if he accepted it to just be a series of intense dreams, what would he think of her for 'dreaming' about killing his sister? "I don't know," she said quietly. "I just asked. I was trying to keep a conversation going because things were feeling awkward, and...it just slipped out. I don't know _where _it came from. I'm so sorry, Satoshi-kun."

She felt that same, warm hand pat her head. She lifted up her head and looked into Satoshi's eyes, which were now kind and forgiving. "Shion-chan," he said softly, "we all say stupid things when we feel awkward. Just don't tell anyone what I just told you, and be more careful about what you say from now on. Okay?"

To let her know everything was okay, Satoshi leaned in and gave Shion a light peck on the cheek. "Okay," said Shion softly.

Just then, Rika and Satoko came walking into the room together, Rika supporting Satoko as though she were an old man. Satoko's eyes were red and puffy from crying, but she otherwise looked as though she had recovered from what had just happened.

Shion stood up and walked over to Satoko. "Satoko," she said, gently stroking one of her cheeks, "are you okay? I'm sorry I upset you."

Satoko nodded. "I'll be okay," she said. "I just need to lie down."

Shion turned to Satoshi and exchanged a glance with him. She said, "I'll see you tomorrow, Satoshi-kun."

"Good night, Shion-chan," said Satoshi. He walked over and gave Shion a gentle hug. Shion gave Satoko one last sympathetic glance before heading off into the night, glad to see she had not been alone in her thoughts...yet truly sorry she had ever asked such a question.

* * *

**A/N: Just wanted to say that even though there were never any arcs on the show where Mion went crazy and killed someone (it's even confirmed in the manga version of Minagoroshi-hen that Mion was not the villain in Watanagashi-hen while Shion was the villain in Meakashi-hen; Shion was the murderer in both), keep in mind that Rika went through at least **_**hundreds**_** of worlds before finally defying fate in Matsuribayashi-hen. Of all of them, there had to have been at least **_**one**_** world where Mion was the one to go crazy; it was just never shown on the show/manga/visual novel game, and she probably learned her lesson early on, hence why she never goes crazy on-screen. It would make for a very interesting fanfic, though...**

**On another note, I am currently getting into Higurashi's spiritual successor, _Umineko No Naku Koro Ni_ (manga and anime). I had mixed feelings when I first heard it had no connection to the original series, but I'm actually really enjoying it; it screws with your head as much as its original counterpart, but I'm pretty sure it works the same way...I think.**


	14. Chapter 14

14

The autumn leaves of September crunched beneath Satoshi's feet as he and Shion walked hand-in-hand, on their way to a Western carnival that had opened only a few days ago. It would only be around for another two weeks, and they were choosing to go out tonight while Rika and Satoko helped each other with their homework.

"Satoshi-kun," said Shion, lightly kicking aside a few leaves, "if we go on a rollercoaster...you will be there to hold me, right?"

"Shion-chan," said Satoko, playfully ruffling Shion's hair, "would I ever leave you dangling off the edge of a coaster fifty feet up—"

"Shh!" said Shion suddenly, stopping. "Do you hear that, Satoshi-kun?"

"Hear what?" asked Satoshi.

"Those footsteps!" hissed Shion. She could hear the _pitter-patter_ growing louder and louder, closer and closer...

"I don't hear anything, sorry," said Satoshi, shaking his head. "It's probably just a small animal."

"Uh, yeah," said Shion, nodding quickly. "Maybe."

Yet she clung a little tightly to Satoshi the rest of the way there, feeling as though they were being followed by something not quite human, nor quite animal...

* * *

"Those cookies smell great, Rika-chan," said Satoko, looking up from her math homework.

"Thank you, Satoko-chan," said Rika, gently removing the cookie-filled pan from the stove. "These are still hot, so we'll have to wait a little bit before having our study snack."

Rika was only aware now she felt...alone. Quite alone. She had Satoko with her, yes...but somehow, she felt as though Hanyuu were missing...that she _should_ be here, but _wasn't..._where had she gone?

"Rika," said Satoko, "do you think we should give some of these cookies to Satoshi and Shion when they come back?"

In that instant, everything clicked: _Satoshi and Shion...of course...she's following them..._

"Of course," said Rika calmly. She placed the cookies on the counter to cool off and sighed, "Hanyuu."

* * *

Ten minutes later, Satoshi and Shion were at the carnival having the time of their life. They were on the carousel, each riding a beautifully decorated horse adjacent to each other.

Satoshi's blonde hair blew in the wind as he clung onto his horse, which was a bright shade of red reminiscent to candy apples. Clearly, he was not enjoying this as much as he thought.

"Now, Satoshi-kun," laughed Shion with a toss of her head, her green hair starkly contrasting her also red horse, "you're not _afraid,_ are you?"

"Afraid? No," said Satoshi weakly. "Nauseous? Absolutely."

Shion only laughed and observed the crowd passing by in a whirl of colours. Amongst the crowd, she saw a small girl with long, lavender hair and horns sticking out of her head. She wore a sleeveless pink dress that looked more like a jumper. Her eyes were red...and seemed to be staring right at Shion.

Shion froze up on her horse, turning her head to look at the girl even as the carousel rode on.

* * *

"Ugh," groaned Satoshi as he and Shion got off the carousel. "I forgot just how _nauseous_ moving rides make me."

"In that case, Satoshi-kun, how about we go on something gentler?" suggested Shion. "Like maybe that tunnel of love over there?" She lay her head on his shoulder and mused, "Imagine the two of us in the dark together...only having each other..."

"As long as it isn't _too_ rough," said Satoshi. "But then again, it's worth it just for you." He kissed Shion on the forehead, and she smiled. She stopped smiling when she saw the girl. She lifted her head off Satoshi's shoulder. That girl looked _very_ familiar...

"Satoshi-kun," said Shion, "why don't you save us a place in line? I'll catch up."

She walked over to the girl almost hypnotically. She knew this girl, she just _knew_ her...she struggled to remember...seven years ago, when Takano was defeated, one extra person was on the team, a girl whom Mion went to school with...her name was...

"Hanyuu," said Shion, surprised when she caught up to her. "Long time no see! How have you been doing?"

"I'm sorry," said Hanyuu.

Shion blinked. "What?" she said, confused.

"I'm sorry," repeated Hanyuu. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" said Shion, feeling more than a little creeped out.

The words now came much faster: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"_I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"_

For a moment, all of time seemed to stand still. Shion was frozen to the spot, caught up in the echoes of Hanyuu's never-ending apology and Mion's never-ending apology, the two voices blending together at a much faster pace, almost becoming one, horribly distorted echo...

"Shion-chan?"

Shion was snapped out of her trance by the feeling of a hand placed on her shoulder. She gasped and whipped around. She let out a sigh of relief to find it was only Satoshi. "Satoshi-kun," she breathed. "I'm sorry, I...I just spaced out for a second there. I thought I saw someone I knew, but..." She shook her head. "Never mind."

"No, it's okay," said Satoshi. "We all think we see someone we know, someone who shouldn't be there at all...well, let's get in line!"

Shion held hands with Satoshi. She turned around to get a glimpse of Hanyuu...but she was gone, vanished into the crowd without a trace.

* * *

"Shion, relax," said Satoshi, gently stroking Shion's hand with his thumb. "The only people behind us are the other couples waiting in line."

"Am I looking around too much?" said Shion quickly, snapping her head back to Satoshi. "I'm sorry, Satoshi-kun. I'm just...nervous. I...I haven't been on one of these rides before."

"Now Shion-chan," said Satoshi, "you have nothing to be afraid of. We'll have each other for company. If you ever get scared, just hang on to me. I won't let you go. And that is a promise."

Shion felt herself relax...but just a _little_ bit. She couldn't shake off the underlying feeling that Hanyuu was right behind her, watching her, judging her. Why had she come back now, of all times? Did she...did she _know?_

Wait...her talk with Rika came back to her now...Hanyuu had been the one to reincarnate Rika and take her back to several worlds...she knew. She _knew._ And now...what would she do to her? Why was she here?

"We're up, Shion," said Satoshi, snapping Shion out of her trance. She smiled nervously at the ticket man and gave him two tickets each. She slipped her hand into Satoshi's and squeezed tightly. He squeezed back assuredly. He smiled in her direction and she smiled back.

When the two were permitted to go on the ride, the two gently stepped into the small boat together. It appeared to be wooden, but they had heard they wouldn't have to do any rowing; it was one of those automatic rides.

Shion gasped slightly when the boat began moving. She clung on to Satoshi who laughed, "We're not in the tunnel yet, Shion-chan. People are staring."

"I know," said Shion wearily, looking for Hanyuu in the crowd watching. She tensed up even more when Satoshi gave her a peck on the cheek. He was trying to calm her down; she couldn't fault him for that...but she was watching. Yes, _she_ was watching, and she _knew._ She knew of Shion's sin and would be delivering swift punishment for it.

Shion was only able to relax once everything went dark and they were in the tunnel. She sighed, "I'm sorry, Satoshi-kun. I don't know what it is, but I just feel like we're being watched."

"Like you're being judged?" said Satoshi.

Shion curled up her fingers. "Sort of," she said.

"Just say, 'to hell with them'," said Satoshi gently. "Don't let them destroy our happiness."

She felt his hands wrap around her waist and pull her in for a kiss. She closed her eyes...and when she did, she saw Oryou's slashed-up face, Rika's contracting pupils in tune with her bashing her head against the bloody knife, Kimiyoshi's horribly bent neck, Satoko's arms trembling in agony, Mion's innocent eyes pleading for her life to be spared...

"_**NOOOOOOO!"**_ screamed Shion, pushing Satoshi off of her and curling up into a ball, praying for the ride to be over.

"Shion?" said Satoshi, concerned. "Are you all right? Is something wrong? I'm sorry, did I move too fast for you? I'll go slower, if you want..."

"Satoshi-kun," said Shion, trembling terribly, "you did nothing wrong. There is nothing you _could_ do wrong. A sweet, wonderful guy like you doesn't deserve a girl like me."

"Shion-chan," said Satoshi gently, laying one hand on Shion's shoulder before she pushed it off. "Don't touch me," she said sharply. "I can't—I don't—Satoshi-kun, you don't know what I _did!_ Satoshi-kun, I killed Satoko!"

"What are you talking about?" said Satoshi, who sounded genuinely perplexed. "Satoko's alive."

"She's dead. And I killed her."

"She's at home with Rika studying."

"I stabbed her."

"She's waiting at home for me."

"I _crucified_ her."

"She'll be right there when we go home."

"She was in a lot of pain, and I brought it on."

"No, she's not; she's just fine."

"She held back the tears for _you,_ Satoshi-kun."

"She's alive and well."

"She promised herself she would be strong for her nii-nii."

"She's alive and waiting for me at home."

"_**THAT'S A LIE!"**_

Shion was alerted by the boat jerking to a sudden stop. She looked up and realized they were out of the tunnel and at the end docks. The boat had barely even stopped when Shion leaped right out of it and onto the docks, pushing right past the exit sign and running to the nearest trash can. She stood above it, shaking terribly, and began retching, bringing up her supper. How could she have done that? What made her freak out so terribly back there she had to tell Satoshi what she had done, or what she _hadn't_ done, rather? What would Satoshi think of her _now—_would he think she was crazy? Worse yet, what if he asked Rika about it and she explained everything to him? What _then?_

It wasn't until Shion was done that she realized someone had been keeping her hair off her face. Nervous, she turned around. It was only Satoshi...and right behind him stood Kasai, carrying two bags of pink-and-blue cotton candy.

"Kasai," said Shion weakly.

"Shion," said Kasai, "what happened?"

"She was having some sort of breakdown back in the tunnel," explained Satoshi. "She kept rambling about how she supposedly killed my sister, but she didn't."

Shion knew it was no use to try to convince Satoshi otherwise—he was such a kind man.

"I came here with Ami on a date," explained Kasai. "She's waiting for me back in the car—I came to get some cotton candy to take home with us when I saw this sight."

"I think Shion had better go home for tonight, if that's okay," said Satoshi, taking Shion by the hand.

"Satoshi-kun," whispered Shion, but Satoshi held up a hand and said, "You're not feeling well, Shion. You need to go home and get your rest. We'll talk later, okay?"

Shion looked into his eyes, so warm and gentle. She nodded weakly. "Okay," she said in a small voice. Kasai held the two bags of cotton candy in one arm and took Shion by the hand like a small child. Shion gave Satoshi a fleeting smile before walking off, hoping to recover from this ordeal by tomorrow.

* * *

"Hanyuu," said Rika sternly when Hanyuu came to talk to her later that night after Satoshi and Satoko had fallen asleep, "how could you do that? Do you not realize what you did to Shion, how badly you _traumatized_ her?"

"I'm sorry," said Hanyuu, bowing her head in shame. "I only intended to apologize to Shion for not being there to prevent her from making those terrible mistakes in that other world...I tried to say what it was I was sorry for, but it didn't come out; all I could say was 'I'm sorry'...I never intended for it to get out-of-hand..."

"And now, thanks to you, she might end up just like Takano," said Rika in the same, stern tone. "Satoshi said she was _shaking._ He thought she was just having a nervous breakdown, and he honestly didn't know _why._ He thought it was something _he_ had done, he felt he had put too much pressure on her and it got to her." She sighed and shook her head sadly. "Part of me wonders if perhaps I _should_ tell him about what's been going on since he disappeared. Then again...I'm afraid to think of the consequences if he were to know. Satoshi is a very kind, forgiving person."

She looked down at Satoshi sleeping peacefully next to his sister. "But he also cares for his sister," she said. "He cared for her enough to kill for her. I don't think he would go so far with Shion...but, it might take some time for him to forgive her."

"So what do we do now?" said Hanyuu.

Rika looked out the window. "We wait."


	15. Chapter 15

15

Shion slowly opened up her eyes. The sun was not quite bathing her, but shone enough to get in her eyes. She yawned and sat up, thinking, _What happened last night?_

Then, it all came back to her in a flash: The carnival...Hanyuu...the tunnel of love..._oh God._

Shion groaned and lay back down in the bed. The last thing she wanted to do was face Satoshi after what had happened last night. How could she? She had confessed to murdering his sister...when technically she _hadn't_...and yet she _did_...Shion decided to stop trying to sort out the logic behind it; even after knowing the cause of it happening, trying it sort it out made her head hurt.

There was a light knock on the door, causing Shion to tense up. Hanyuu had come back for her, she was coming to do whatever it was she wanted...

"Shion? It's just about noon."

Shion relaxed. It was only Kasai. "Come in," she said.

The door opened and in came Kasai. "I was going to wake you up a few hours ago, but I decided to let you sleep in, figuring you had a rough night," he explained.

"Thank you," said Shion, shifting herself ever so slightly.

"Anyway," said Kasai, "you have a few visitors here to see you."

"Oh," said Shion, now feeling a bit self-conscious.

"Would you feel less overwhelmed if I let just one person at a time in?" suggested Kasai.

"Okay," said Shion. She watched Kasai walk out. A minute or so later, another person stood in the doorway. It was Mion, whose belly seemed to almost _explode_ over night. Yet she looked perfectly happy. She came in and closed the door behind her. "Good morning, onee," she said. "Kasai called this morning and told me what happened. Satoshi filled me in on the rest."

"_Satoshi?"_ gasped Shion. "Is he _here?"_

"He's just waiting outside," said Mion, sitting on the bed. "He's really worried about you."

Shion looked down at the covers. "I'm glad to hear that," she said softly.

"So," said Mion, "does your breakdown last night have anything to do with your question about me dreaming about killing anyone a while back?"

"Sort of," said Shion, tracing circles in the blankets.

"You've been having those dreams too, huh?" said Mion. "Well, if they were only _dreams,_ then you have nothing to worry about, right? Those dreams I told you about—the ones where I kill everyone just because I somehow get the idea they're stealing Keiichi away from me—those used to freak me out pretty badly, but the closer I got to my friends, the less the dreams occurred. Maybe you should try getting closer to Satoshi and Satoko. Maybe once you've assured yourself you truly do look on them as friends, not enemies, you will begin to feel better."

"Yeah," said Shion softly. "Maybe." She looked up. "So how are things going with you and Keiichi?"

"Oh, they're going just fine," said Mion nonchalantly. "We're decorating the baby's room now. It looks cute enough for Rena to want to take home—we're using that mobile you and Satoko and Satoshi made, and it goes just nicely with the crib. We're still setting up the shelves for some of the various books to read to the baby when it's a little older."

Shion felt the need to ask, "How's grandma?"

"She's...doing okay," said Mion slowly. "She still gets sick, but she's feeling just fine today. She _tries_ to act like she doesn't care about the baby, but it really hurts her to think she won't live to see her first great-grandchild; I can tell by how wistful she looks when looking at us decorating the nursery, Shion. Sometimes...I can hear her crying. Not very loudly, but she does. She thinks I'm asleep when I hear her, but I can hear her very faintly when getting up to fulfill my midnight cravings."

Shion found herself feeling sorrier for her grandmother, which puzzled her—how could she feel so much sympathy for someone who had been so cruel to her all her life? She was the one who kept her isolated from nearly the whole family, the one who insisted on her parents keeping her home with Kasai to baby-sit whenever going out to a special family dinner, the one who had her sent off to boarding school. She always acted as though she didn't want anything to do with Shion and made it clear from her body language she viewed Shion as a mistake. So why did she have this achy feeling in her heart to hear of her suffering like this?

"I hope grandma lives to see the baby," said Shion truthfully.

"Me too, Shion," said Mion softly. "The one thing I promised myself was that I would keep grandma alive long enough to hold my baby in her arms for even a short while. But lately...it seems that my efforts aren't enough."

She stood up. "Well," she said, "Rika wants to see you. I've been in here long enough; I'll let her in."

"Are you sure you can't stay longer?" said Shion quickly, suddenly not wanting Mion to leave.

Mion looked at Shion curiously. "Shion," she said, "it's only Rika. You know her."

"Right," said Shion, shifting her legs. "I just...get lonely without you, that's all."

"Well come by and visit sometime, okay?" said Mion. She smiled and opened up the door. She called out to Rika to come in. Shion knew she could talk to Rika about the incident last night; she'd understand where she had been coming from. So why did she feel so uneasy about being alone with her?

"I'll see you later, onee," said Mion, who walked off just as Rika came in through the door. She, too, closed the door behind her. She walked up to the bed and said, "So...Satoshi told us what happened last night."

"He did, did he," said Shion, wondering what he had thought of her.

"He feels bad about it," said Rika, sitting on the bed, causing Shion to instinctively inch away from her. "He thinks he did something wrong."

"Satoshi-kun did nothing wrong at all," said Shion quickly. _"I'm_ the one who's done wrong, remember?"

"Ah," said Rika, now using her adult tone. "You're still dreaming about those other worlds, are you?"

Shion nodded. She said, "I don't know _what_ is causing me to dream about them again. I _thought_ I put it behind me, but..."

"It comes and goes," shrugged Rika. "It's especially unpleasant to have a flashback in the middle of the day, which happened with Keiichi in one world. I would assume that's what happened?"

Shion nodded.

"I would like to say I'm sorry," said Rika.

"For what?" asked Shion.

"For Hanyuu," said Rika. "Please, allow me." She turned to her left and said, "Hanyuu, you may come out now."

Shion gasped when Hanyuu appeared before her very eyes, wearing the same dress from last night. She no longer looked as intimidating as last night; now, she looked very humble. Still, Shion felt an urge to get up and escape through the window.

"Hanyuu has been with me since I was born," explained Rika. "She's been watching over me. She reincarnated me over and over to save her only friend."

"Hello," said Hanyuu with a friendly wave.

Shion moved away as far as she could until she was almost off the bed, her eyes wide, feeling absolute panic.

"No need to worry, Shion," laughed Rika gently, helping Shion to move back over to her side. "Hanyuu is really harmless. She wouldn't hurt a fly." She turned to Hanyuu. "Hanyuu, can you explain to Shion what happened last night?"

"Hauu," said Hanyuu, looking frightful. "I came to apologize for being unable to stop you from making your mistakes in that one world. I meant to say why I had come to apologize, but I couldn't get the words out. I saw you standing there, and I was afraid you might not remember me and wouldn't know what I was talking about, so...I'm sorry. For not being able to stop you, and for frightening you last night."

Shion looked into Hanyuu's regretful eyes. She was reminded of one night where Kasai had come to baby-sit while her parents and sister went to a family reunion when she was very small...she had been thoroughly convinced there were monsters under her bed, as many small children often were, and had Kasai come in with a flashlight, where he shined upon perfectly harmless dust bunnies. She felt as though she had just shined on a dust bunny herself.

"I forgive you," said Shion. "Just...don't frighten me again, okay?"

Hanyuu nodded. Shion gasped as the image of Hanyuu gradually faded away. Rika explained, "Hanyuu comes and goes. She's a bit of a free spirit."

"Oh," said Shion, deciding not to confused herself even further by asking how that worked.

Rika got off the bed and stood up. "Shion-chan," she said, "do you think you are ready to talk to Satoshi?"

Shion lay down and curled up into a ball. "Maybe," she said in a tiny voice. She wanted to see Satoshi again...but she didn't know how to _explain_ it. "Does Satoshi know?"

"No," said Rika's voice. "He's better off not knowing. We may explain it to him someday if you wish but for now, it is unnecessary."

Shion lay still, aware of a pair of footsteps leaving...and the echo of another pair coming. She closed her eyes, not wanting to turn around and look into _his_ eyes.

Shefelt a hand gentle tucking a strand of green hair behind her ear. Her eyelids fluttered open and there stood Satoshi, who looked genuinely concerned before smiling a warm, gentle smile. "Shion-chan," he said, giving her a light kiss on the cheek. He sat down on the bed and said, "I was worried about you."

"I know," said Shion, who somehow found the strength to sit up and look at him. "I'm sorry I ruined your evening."

"It's all right," said Satoshi gently. "You needed to get home." Then, "Shion-chan...a while ago, you claimed the reason why you asked Satoko if she ever dreamed of killing anyone was because you were just trying to keep a conversation going. That's not the real reason, right? Were you yourself having those kind of dreams?"

Shion nodded and bit her lip. "They felt so _real._ I never told you about those dreams because I was afraid of what you would think of me."

"They're only dreams, Shion," said Satoshi, patting Shion on the head. "They just mean you're feeling insecure about us, that's all. Be assured that I meant what I said last night—if you ever get scared, just hang on to me. I won't let you go. And I wasn't just talking about the rollercoaster either."

Shion smiled and the two shared a kiss. She was tempted to let it get more passionate, but she pulled away and said, "I'm sorry I ever doubted us, Satoshi-kun. I'll try to be a bit more easygoing from now on."

"That's good to hear," said Satoshi. "And don't worry about Satoko, either; she looks up to you like a big sister, and doesn't think the less of you for anything."

Shion lay her head on Satoshi's shoulder. "Satoshi-kun," she said, "is there anyone else waiting to come in?"

"No," said Satoshi. "It's just me, Mion, and Rika."

"Satoshi-kun," said Shion, holding Satoshi closer, "can you stay for just one more minute?"

"I'll stay as long as you need me," Satoshi whispered in her ear.

Shion closed her eyes. The two did not make any advances; they only sat there with their arms holding them close, happy to just be in one another's presence.


	16. Chapter 16

16

September flew by for many, but for Mion, who was now in her final few weeks of her pregnancy, the weeks seemed to stretch on forever, causing her to act grouchy and irritable to just about anyone foolish enough to ask her how she was doing.

It was on a rainy day in October that Rika's house had the misfortune of the roof shingles being blown off by the windy weather, resulting in something of a leaky house. Keiichi came over to help repair the roof with the help of Shion and Satoshi. Rika and Satoko stayed on the ground and in the house with Mion, who was _very_ grumpy.

"Satoshi-kun," said Shion, stretching out a hand, "Keiichi needs a hammer." Currently, the weather was dry yet cloudy. They planned on getting some work done before the weather got any worse.

Satoshi rummaged one hand through the toolbox before coming across a hammer. He climbed up one more rung on the ladder and handed it to Shion, who in turn handed it to Keiichi. "Keiichi," said Shion, "Mion bites my head off every time I ask her now, but...how is she doing?"

"She bites off _my_ head off when _I_ ask her," laughed Keiichi. "So don't think you're the only one!" Then, "Dr. Irie warned us to be on our guard. He said that although Mion isn't technically _due_ just yet, she _is_ just about thirty-seven weeks now. The baby can be born with no complications, meaning it could be born any day now, so we have his number on stand-by if we need him."

"Number?" said Satoshi. "Aren't you going to a hospital?"

"We were, but Mion insisted on having a home birth," said Keiichi as he rammed a few nails through the shingle with his hammer. "She's afraid her grandmother could die at any minute now and wants her to be there to hold the baby for even just a few minutes. I tried telling her we could always just bring her grandmother to the hospital with us, but when I did..."

"She bit your head off," finished Shion.

"Right," sighed Keiichi. Then, "How are things with you and Satoshi?"

"Great, just great!" said Shion cheerfully. And she meant it; oddly enough, her breakdown from last month seemed to have brought the two closer together. They were becoming more and more serious with each passing day. Shion had a fleeting hope in her heart that it wouldn't be long before Satoshi proposed to her, or if they even...

"It's starting to rain again," sighed Satoshi as the raindrops came pouring down. "Should we continue?"

"Unless anything else happens, hand me more nails," was Keiichi's reply.

* * *

"Ugh, do they have to bang so _loud?"_ groaned Mion as she stood in the kitchen, the one part that wasn't leaky, with Rika and Satoko.

"They _have_ to bang loud," said Rika. "They're just hammering."

"Oh, and _you're_ such an expert on carpentry now?" snapped Mion.

"Sorry," said Rika. "Nipah!"

Mion gritted her teeth. She got out a glass from the cupboard. Satoko spoke: "Aren't you excited about having the baby soon?"

"I'm _thrilled,"_ growled Mion as she turned on the tap. "On top of the world! Couldn't be better! And I'll _really_ feel swell when this baby is out of me!"

She let out a slight gasp just as her glass was filled halfway up and she turned off the tap.

"What is it, Mii-chan?" said Satoko.

"No—nothing," stammered Mion. "I'll be all right." She lifted up her glass to take a sip and cried out once more.

"Mii-chan?" said Rika, concerned. "Is it the baby?"

"I...think so," said Mion slowly. Her eyes widened. "Rika," she whispered, "please tell me what that puddle beneath my feet is."

* * *

"There!" sighed Keiichi. "That's it for the first shingle! Now for the next—"

"Here comes Rika," said Satoshi, noticing Rika running out of the house. Rika called out, "Keii-chan! You need to come down right now!"

"What's happening?" said Keiichi, concerned. "Is it Mion?"

Satoko led a staggering Mion out of the house. "Mii-chan's having the baby," she explained.

"Wait, _right now?!?"_ cried out Keiichi. Shion scattered down the ladder to make room for Keiichi to come down. Satoshi meanwhile jumped off the last few rungs he was on and stood back a slight distance, for Keiichi looked like he was ready to jump right off the roof.

"Yes, now!" shrieked Mion. "And if you don't get your ass down here _right now_ Maebara, so help me I will make you wish you were never born!"

Keiichi didn't jump off the roof, but he came pretty damn close; lucky for him, he managed to find the ladder and scoot down it. He ran up to Mion and said, "Are you _sure_ it's the real thing?"

"Her water broke just a few minutes ago," explained Rika. "I think this is for real."

"Oh man," breathed Keiichi, running one hand through his hair. "Oh boy."

"Onee," said Shion, slipping one hand into Mion's, "how bad is it right now? Do you have any cramps?"

Mion clenched her teeth and nodded.

"We'll get you home right away," said Shion, the others following up to help Shion take Mion home.

* * *

"You'll be all right, Mion," said Akane, holding her hand in Mion's as she lay on the floor in a nightgown, breathing in and out. "This will be all over soon. The doctor is on the way, and it will be all over. Just breathe."

"Can't—breathe!" gasped Mion.

"You can do it, Mii-chan," said Rika encouragingly.

Mion finally let out a breath and her head collapsed on the pillow set out before the mat. "Everyone," she said weakly, "thank you for supporting me all the way home. But right now, I would rather have my mother, my husband, possibly my grandmother, and eventually my father by my side right now."

"I could stay with you," said Shion. "We're twins; we do everything together, remember?"

Mion looked into Shion's eyes. "Thank you for your support, Shion. But you need to give the others a place to stay for the night, seeing as your plan to fix the roof is pretty much gone now. "

Shion turned to Satoshi, Satoko, and Rika. "You three wouldn't mind spending the night at my apartment, would you?" she said. "Kasai said he'd be spending the night with Ami just in case we couldn't fix the roof."

"Not at all, Shion," said Satoko. "We can always just call up a repairman in the morning, right Satoshi?"

"Right," said Satoshi, who was smiling at the thought of getting to spend the night with Shion. Even if it was an innocent night where nothing happened, he'd still enjoy her company.

* * *

"Thank you for dinner, Shion," said Satoko as the two of them washed dishes together in Shion's apartment. "It was delicious."

"You're welcome, Satoko," said Shion. "I hope you don't mind having to share a bed with Rika."

"Of course not," said Satoko as she dried the dishes off. "Then you and Satoshi can have all that time to yourself. Won't the two of you end up having to share a bed after all?"

Shion looked over at Satoshi. "Yeah, I guess we will," she said.

"Fine by me," said Satoshi.

Shion caught Rika and Satoko sharing a smile. "What are you two smiling about?" she said suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing," said Satoko innocently.

"We're just wondering if _all_ you and Satoshi are going to do is just share a bed," said Rika.

Satoshi laughed, "Get your minds out of the gutter, girls!" He shared a smile with Shion, which she hoped was an indication Rika and Satoko's suspicions might be right.

* * *

After everything had been cleaned up and Rika and Satoko had gone to sleep in Kasai's room, Shion sat by the phone, nervously tapping the desk.

"I'm sure that if something happened, Mion would've called to tell you," said Satoshi, sitting next to Shion. "She wouldn't just leave you in suspense."

"I know," said Shion, who stopped tapping and took out her yellow ribbon, laying it beside the phone. "I'm just both really nervous _and_ excited...like on the night of our first dinner together with Satoko." She smiled. "I'm really looking forward to having someone call me 'auntie'. It feels like Mion's been pregnant _forever._ Now...the baby's on the way...it's taking a long time..."

"Mion's only been in labour for a few hours, Shion," said Satoshi, gently massaging Shion's shoulders. "She probably won't give birth until tomorrow at the earliest."

"Yes," said Shion, relaxing at Satoshi's golden touch. "She and Keiichi both are really lucky...to be so in love..."

"Just like us," Satoshi whispered in Shion's ear before giving her a peck on the cheek. Shion smiled and turned around to kiss Satoshi on the lips. The two wrapped their arms around one another, getting caught up in the spirit of the kiss. They felt themselves standing up, moving across the room, until they had reached the door to Shion's room.

They parted. Satoshi opened the door and said, "Shion-chan...do you think we should..."

"Satoshi-kun!" breathed Shion, taking Satoshi by the arm and pulling him into her room, closing the door behind them.

**(A/N: You can all guess what happens from here, heh-heh. In any event, there is a lemon-lime coming right up. If you're not into that sort of stuff, you can skip the rest of this chapter; aside from that, you won't be missing anything essential to the plot)**

* * *

Satoshi wrapped his arms around Shion tightly and began to kiss her passionately, she not bothering to pull back, encouraging him with her lips to let this continue further than they expected. They stumbled across the room before collapsing onto Shion's bed.

They parted for oxygen. They opened their eyes and saw the look of love in each other's eyes. As though under a spell, Shion's hands made their way to the belt of Satoshi's pants. "Satoshi-kun," she whispered, "I think we should absolutely."

Satoshi smiled. "That makes two of us," he whispered back. The kissing resumed and Shion unbuckled the belt holding Satoshi's pants up and tossed that onto the floor. Soon accompanying the belt was Satoshi's pants, his shirt, and Shion's skirt.

The two sat up in bed, their faces flushed with anticipation. Shion guided Satoshi's hands to her top and helped him remove it. She leaned in and kissed Satoshi fervently, now guiding his hands to her bra straps. He gently slipped the straps down her shoulders before reaching for the bra itself. Shion felt her face redden as she helped Satoshi take the bra off over her head and toss onto the floor. She had been quite...blessed by Mother Nature, and for this reason, felt a bit self-conscious now that she was half-naked. She knew Satoshi was a perfectly nice guy, but she couldn't help but laugh softly at his eyes examining her. She felt herself relax when his eyes met hers and he leaned in to kiss her.

Shion felt herself shiver slightly when Satoshi slipped his tongue into her mouth. She knew there was no turning back, and she was excited. There would be no guilt, and absolutely no regrets. She reached for his boxers and pulled them off at the same time Satoshi delicately removed her panties, both of which were lightly kicked to the floor.

Shion looked into Satoshi's eyes. Even though they were both completely naked, she was not quite ready to take the plunge. First, she needed a minute or two for this to sink in. Satoshi understood and allowed Shion to rest her head on his shoulder, lightly brushing her chest against his, feeling the sturdy rhythm of his heartbeat. She closed her eyes and felt his hands guide their way from her shoulders, to the side of her breasts, to her waist, and finally circling around to her back.

_This is really happening,_ they both thought. _I can't believe it...but it is. Here I am, in the arms of the one I love. Life can't possibly get any better than this._

Shion lifted her chin up. Satoshi said, "Are you ready, Shion-chan?"

"I've been waiting seven years for this, Satoshi-kun," was Shion's reply. Their arms still wrapped around each other, they adjusted their position ever so slightly, and they became one in a matter of seconds. Shion gasped slightly from the pain, but it only lasted for a few seconds and was replaced by absolute pleasure as they were lowered down onto the bed.

A minute can feel like an eternity when one is in love. That was this; neither could know exactly how long the moment was lasting, but it felt like it would last for all time, just them, and no one else to wreck their happiness. Not a world of tragedy, not hatred, _nothing._

The moment itself ended somewhat too quickly for their liking, but the feelings were still there. The love, the innocence, the joy. Shion closed her eyes and felt Satoshi's arms around her holding her close. He pulled the blankets up, covering them both. Before drifting off to sleep, they whispered into each other's ears:

"Satoshi-kun."

"Shion-chan."

And the two lovers fell asleep in each other's arms.

_Drowning in my loneliness_

_How long must I hold my breath?_

_So much emptiness inside, I could fill the deepest sea_

_I reach to the sky as the moon looks on_

_One last year has come and gone_

_It's time to let your love rain down on me_

_Can you turn my black roses red?_

_Can you turn my black roses red?_

_--Alana Grace, Black Roses Red_


	17. Chapter 17

17

There was a soft thunder outside the next morning. It was soft enough to not be extremely frightening, but loud enough to wake Shion up from her slumber.

Shion felt a warm body lightly brushing against hers, feeling two arms wrapped around her. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself in the arms of Satoshi. Now she remembered. She smiled and lay her head on his shoulder, softly whispering, "Satoshi-kun..."

She felt one hand stroking her hair, and heard a soft voice whispering, "Shion-chan."

"You're awake too, huh?" said Shion, who lightly nuzzled her face against his neck.

"It's the thunder," said Satoshi, still stroking Shion's hair. "I usually don't like it much. But this morning," he sat up in bed, Shion sitting up alongside him, "it's particularly beautiful."

"It sure is," said Shion. She leaned over and kissed Satoshi, him returning the kiss with a bit more passion, leaning over ever so slightly.

"Nii-nii? Nee-nee?"

They stopped kissing and turned around to see Rika and Satoko standing in the doorway, both looking very shocked. Satoshi and Shion froze, mortified at having been caught in the act, so to speak. Shion realized after half a minute that the blankets were exposing her quite a bit. She gasped and pulled the blankets halfway up her and Satoshi's chests, blushing furiously.

The tension was relieved when Rika spoke: "Nipah!"

* * *

Ten minutes later, Satoshi and Shion sat at the table with Rika and Satoko, fully clothed yet bashful over the incident.

"About what you saw," said Shion, stirring a hole in her porridge, "it was...the only time this ever happened, and..."

"Shion," said Satoko cheerfully, "we're seventeen now. Don't you think we're old enough to know just what exactly two adults who are deeply in love do when left alone together?"

"Yes, but you're not old enough to _see_ it," said Satoshi, reaching over and patting Satoko lightly on the head.

"Satoko," said Shion, "shouldn't you and Rika be getting ready for school?"

"Oh, we still have ten minutes," said Satoko casually.

Just then, the phone rang. It was only now that Shion suddenly remembered—was that Mion? Had the baby arrived safe and sound? She looked over at Satoshi and Satoko in excitement as Rika picked the phone up.

"Hello?" said Rika. "Hi, Mion...really?...that's great!...sure, I'll put her on..." She turned to Shion and said, "Shion, it's your sister. The baby's here!"

"Really?" said Shion, standing up.

"Yes, really!" said Rika. "She wants you to talk to her!"

"Oh," said Shion, walking up to the phone. Rika handed the phone over to Shion who took it and said, "Hello?"

There was a pause and sniffling on the other line. "Mion?" said Shion, concerned. Had something gone wrong? "Are you okay?"

"It's a boy," said Mion's tearful voice. "Just an hour ago, I gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy."

"Is anything wrong?" said Shion.

"No," said Mion, cracking up. "Nothing's wrong with him—he's _perfect."_

There was a sound on the other line indicating the phone had been taken from Mion. The voice that now spoke was Akane's: "Mion's feeling a bit emotional at the moment. Don't worry; the baby arrived safe and sound. She was just calling to see if you wanted to come over and see him."

"Of course I do!" said Shion, reaching over for the yellow ribbon on the desk. "When do you want me to come over?"

"Oh, sometime within the next hour or so," said Akane. "You can bring the others with you, if they want to come."

"Thanks, but I think Satoshi has to drop them off at school," said Shion, looking over at Satoshi, who nodded in understanding. "So I'll be by in a couple minutes."

* * *

When Shion arrived, the atmosphere was very calm and quiet. She didn't know if it was just because of the fact that it was early morning, or if it was just because everyone was being quiet for the baby's sake.

She tip-toed silently past her grandmother's room, wondering if she was now awake, or if she had a chance to hold the baby yet. She wondered how Oryou would feel if she knew about what she and Satoshi had done last night...she couldn't hold her love for Satoshi against her forever, right? And because Mion had been telling the truth about the Sonozaki's having nothing to do with Satoshi's disappearance...did that mean she had also told the truth when she said Oryou had given the relationship her blessing?

Finally, Shion arrived at the room. She could tell it was the right one, for she heard soft humming, almost like a lullaby, coming from the other side. She gently slid the door open and poked her head in. Sure enough, there was Mion sitting up, her long, green hair hanging loose on her shoulders and running down her back, her eyes closed, a huge smile on her face, a small baby in her arms. Keiichi stood above them with a look of pride in his eyes. From what Shion could see, the baby resembled his father somewhat. He had Keiichi's hair, but it could not be determined if he had his eyes, for they were closed, sleeping and peaceful.

Shion saw her parents sitting just nearby, with a look of pride and joy on their faces. Akane looked up and said, "Hello, Shion. You can come in."

Shyly, Shion took a few steps into the room. She walked up to Mion and bent down next to her. "How's the baby?" she whispered.

Mion opened her eyes, which were brimming with tears. "Beautiful," she whispered, blinking away the tears. She used one free finger to stroke the baby's cheek. "Just beautiful."

"Does he have a name yet?" asked Shion.

The baby peeked one eye open, curious of the voices around him. Both his eyes opened to reveal the same, violet eyes as Keiichi.

"Tenchi," said Mion softly, holding him even closer. "Sonozaki Tenchi."

"Are you sure?" said Akane. "It's tradition for Sonozaki heirs to have the demon character in their name. Tenchi doesn't..."

"I know," said Mion. "But I don't care." Her voice was breaking up. "Keiichi and I fell in love with the name instantly. It means 'heaven and earth'. And here we are, with a piece of heaven on this earth."

Keiichi gave his son a light kiss on the forehead. "Welcome to the world, Sonozaki Tenchi," he said, smiling.

Shion lightly stroked one of Tenchi's cheeks, soft and smooth as a peach. _If Satoshi-kun and I were to get married and have a baby, _she thought, _would my family be this supportive?_

There was a soft creak coming from the doorway. Shion turned her head. There stood Oryou, who was supporting herself with her cane, struggling to stand up straight.

"Mother," said Akane, standing up and rushing over to Oryou. "You shouldn't be pushing yourself. I'll take you back to bed."

Akane stretched out one hand for Oryou to take, but she swatted it away and said harshly, "Not until I've seen my great-grandchild."

Akane stretched out her hand once more. "Then at least allow me to help you sit down."

Oryou glared at the hand before reluctantly taking it. She was guided to the center of the room and sat down next to Shion, who felt herself catch her breath, but forced herself to relax, mentally reminding herself that there was no way Oryou could know of what had happened last night unless she told her.

As Mion gently handed the baby over to Oryou, Shion could almost swear she saw a look of pride and joy in Oryou's eyes. She clearly looked happy to be able to witness something so pure, so untouched, so...beautiful.

Shion did not understand _why,_ but suddenly, she felt the need to stand up and slowly back out of the room. Everyone else had their full attention focused on Tenchi; they wouldn't notice if she went out for a bit of air.

Shion took a walk down the hall before stopping. She leaned against the wall and slid down, sighing, placing one hand to her forehead. She and Satoshi had finally shared the moment she thought would never come, Mion and Keiichi now had a son, Oryou lived to see her first great-grandchild, and Shion _seemed_ to have gotten over her nightmares—everything was going so _right..._so why couldn't she shake off the feeling everything was about to go horribly wrong?


	18. Chapter 18

18

The weeks flew by and soon enough, it was November. Tenchi was still beautiful and healthy, under the care of two, loving parents. Shion and Satoshi would stop by once a week to help with the baby while Keiichi and Mion took care of Oryou to keep her alive to be with her great-grandson just a little bit longer. Often, Shion would hold Tenchi in her arms and imagine this as the future for herself and Satoshi once they were ready to get married. In spite of this, however, she couldn't shake off her growing paranoia that someone somewhere was out to destroy her happiness...

* * *

Shion woke up to the sound of thunder, much to her displeasure. She groaned and opened her eyes reluctantly. The entire room was drenched in a gloomy shade of grey. The glass doors leading out to the balcony were drenched with tears of rain.

Shion sighed and closed her eyes. For some reason, she did not _want_ to get up. She wanted to sleep in bed all day, and not just because she hoped it would keep her safe from whatever was out there; no, she _needed_ this sleep.

"It can't be _that_ early," muttered Shion. She reached out for her alarm clock and turned it towards her. To her surprise, it was almost noon. While she didn't exactly enjoy getting up early, the only times she had ever slept in till noon was her breakdown two months ago, and during the various times she felt ill. Otherwise, the latest she slept in was ten-thirty.

Shion sighed. She had to get up, but did not want to. She somehow moved her legs out of bed and stood up, hoping that if she moved around a bit, she would feel better. The very minute she stood up, however, she felt as though she were about to float right off her toes. She gasped and clutched a bed knob, waiting for the feeling to pass. She felt dizzy and nauseous. She hoped she wouldn't vomit right all over her bed.

The dizzy feeling passed along with the nausea. Shion sighed and made her way across her room. She had just opened the door when she felt another wave of nausea hit her. She held one hand to her mouth and ran to the bathroom, where she stood above the toilet, taking in a few deep breaths to settle herself. To her relief, the wave of nausea passed fairly quickly.

Shion supposed she might be feeling this way because she hadn't had anything to eat yet. Still, she wanted to be careful just in case she _did_ have something. Slowly, she made her way to the kitchen and prepared herself a glass of milk, and some cracks to munch on. Not exactly a gourmet breakfast, but it was all she could handle right now.

She had just about finished her glass (having taken tiny sips) when Kasai came in with an arm full of groceries. "Good morning, Shion," he said. "I went out to get some groceries while you were sleeping. How long have you been up for?"

Shion looked up at the clock. "About fifteen minutes, give or take," she said.

Kasai raised his eyebrows. "Wow," he said. "And it was just around ten when I left. I figured you'd be up a bit later. Are you feeling okay?"

"I was feeling a bit nauseous," said Shion, taking her glass and now empty bowl over to the sink. "But I'm feeling better now. It was probably just because I didn't eat enough last night."

"You sure?" said Kasai, beginning to unpack some of the groceries. "I _thought_ the dinner I made you last night would've filled you right up."

"Well, I _did_ feel a little hungry," admitted Shion, helping Kasai put some of the groceries away in the fridge. "I just felt too tired to make myself something, that's all."

"Perfectly understandable," said Kasai. He picked up a separate bag and said, "You wouldn't mind unpacking the rest into the fridge while I go unpack these items in the bathroom, would you?"

"Not at all," said Shion, now placing the carton of eggs into the fridge.

Kasai walked off into the bathroom. He bent down to the cupboard under the sink and opened it up. He began putting away the first few items—toilet paper, Kleenex boxes, and cleaning products. He then picked up a few packages of tampons and pads, remembering Shion's complaints from a few months ago about how they often ran short. As he began to place the packages into the cupboard, however, he noticed something that made him stop short.

It did not take Kasai very long for him to figure it out. He sighed and shook his head. "Oh, Shion..."

"Kasai? Did you call me?"

"I'll be right there," Kasai called back. He closed the cupboard doors and stood up. He would confront Shion about his discovery later—for now, he would let her be blissfully unaware of the unopened packages of tampons and pads.

* * *

Shion was to have dinner at Satoshi's house later that night, and so she left the apartment at around five-thirty PM. She had told Kasai she would be just fine walking there by herself...now, as she braved the streets of Okinomiya, she was beginning to wish she had accepted his offer to give her a lift.

Everywhere Shion went, she felt as though someone was watching her and following her, waiting for her to make one, single wrong move, to go down an ally that had a dead-end, or to walk down a vacant lot and then...

Shion gasped and jumped when she felt someone's arm brushing against hers. She saw it was just a woman with a purse. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down and kept on walking. Trembling, she stuffed her hands in her coat pockets and mentally told herself, _Calm down, Shion. There is no one out to get you. You are just paranoid because it's a busy day, and it's about to rain, which makes things even creepier, so just calm down. Besides, who would want to get you anyway?_

_My family, that's who._

Shion stopped. She heard laughter—cruel, mocking laughter. She spun around and saw a group of women gathered together nearby. They were all laughing about something...her. They were laughing at _her._ They knew of her misery and were now _laughing._

"Shut up!" Shion yelled at the group. The women instantly stopped and stared at Shion, who blushed and muttered, "Uh...sorry. I...have a headache." She ran off, chiding herself for being overly-paranoid. Why should anyone want to get her? Why should her own _family_ want to get her? The business with the Houjou's was in the past now; it no longer mattered...right?

No...that was a lie. It..was...a..._lie._

Her family hated her. They always had. Every opportunity she had at happiness would be ruthlessly crushed by _them._ They knew. They knew of what she and Satoshi had done together weeks ago, and now, they planned on attacking her for it.

This thought in mind was what made Shion run faster to her destination.

* * *

Shion knocked on the door. She had finally made it to Rika's. While waiting for someone to answer the door, she thought. She thought about how Satoshi couldn't find a house of his own all because he felt the need to stay behind with his _precious_ baby sister. If it weren't for _her,_ Satoshi might be able to live with Shion. They might've even found a house of their own by now.

The door slid open and there stood a smiling Satoko. Shion wanted to wipe that smile off that brat's face. Satoko was in on it, too; she was in on the Sonozaki family's plan to drive a wedge between her and Satoshi. Why else would she insist on having her older brother stay with her when she was _seventeen?_ She was old enough to take care of herself. Why hadn't Shion seen it before?

"Hi, Shion," said Satoko cheerfully, not noticing the semi-dead look in Shion's eyes. "Rika's out shopping right now, and Satoshi went over to Rena's to help for a bit. Want to come in and wait?"

_Rena..._of course. Her friends—_all _her friends—were in on it. _They_ could not stand to see Shion happy and thus, with Mion's help, conspired to do whatever they could to tie up Satoshi's hands.

"Shion?"

Shion snapped out of her trance. She walked right by Satoko into the house without saying another word. She hung up her coat and walked into the living room/bedroom. Immediately, her eyes landed on the bear sitting on the window sill. She clenched her fists. _That bear..._of course, Satoshi hadn't come back for _Shion;_ how could she be silly enough to think _that?_ No...he only had Satoko in mind...

"Shion, are you okay?"

In that moment, there was nothing Shion wanted to do more than to hurt Satoko—hurt her in the worst way possible. As though she were in a trance, Shion picked up the bear by the arms and turned to face a confused-looking Satoko.

"Shion, what are you—?"

Without a second thought, using all her strength, Shion ripped off the bear's left arm and tossed it to the floor as though it was a dirty old rag and stamped on it, ripping up the delicate flower it held in the process. Satoko only stood there, a look of shock and horror on her face.

"Are you _happy?"_ growled Shion, kicking away the severed arm. "Are you happy now that you and everyone else have succeeded in taking Satoshi-kun away from me?"

She tore off the other arm and flung it in Satoko's direction. "All those years, I waited _patiently. _I kept hoping, _praying—"_ she ripped off an ear, "that he would come back to me."

She snatched out the bear's eyes and flung them onto the floor. "But he never did. And the only reason he's back _now_ is because of _you!"_

She ripped out the stuffing that was leaking out and stamped on it. "I should've _stayed_ in that world where I killed you! Yes, Satoko, I _killed you!_ I stabbed you over and over, hoping it would make you cry, _begging_ to see you cry! But you just _would not_ give me that _pleasure!_ _You_ wanted to stay strong for your _precious_ nii-nii!"

She tore across the bear's chest and flung it to the floor. "But you know what? If I had the chance, I would _gladly_ kill you again! Only _this_ time—"

"Stop it."

Shion was torn from her frenzy. She saw Satoko looking her straight in the eye with a look not of sadness, but anger and determination. "Let the bear go, and _stop it,"_ said Satoko calmly yet angrily. "I may have put up with what you did to me on the first day we met because I only knew how to hide behind Satoshi's back, but guess what? I've grown up since then. And if you don't let go of that bear _now,_ I will show you just how strongly I fight back."

"You think you're so mature?" sneered Shion. "Look at you—getting worked up over a _bear?_ Ha! Not such a big girl after all, are you?"

"It's not what the bear _is,"_ said Satoko, not backing down. "It's what the bear _represents._ Even if Satoshi had brought back one of those ugly things only Rena would find cute, I would still be this angry. Do you know why? Because that bear is a _sign—_it represents how my nii-nii is no longer gone, that he has come back to me after all those years of being missing. And to see you _destroy_ that...let go. Let go now, and we can still sew the bear back up together. Let go, and we can forget this incident right here ever happened."

Shion looked into Satoko's eyes, which showed no sign of being on the verge of tears in the slightest. Smiling cruelly, she tore up one of the bear's legs. That smile fell off Shion's face when Satoko let out an angry cry and lunged at her, aiming for the bear.

"Give him back!" cried out Satoko, struggling to wrestle the bear out of Shion's arms. "Give him back to me!"

"Not a chance!" growled Shion, who slapped Satoko across the face with her free hand, causing Satoko to stumble back. Shion raise her hand to strike once more, when she felt another hand grab her by the wrist. She froze when she saw the face of the person holding her back...

_Satoshi._ She had been so caught up in her anger she hadn't even _seen_ him come in...and he just saw...

"_No one_ is allowed to lay a _hand_ on Satoko," said Satoshi angrily. "And I _don't_ make an exception for _anyone."_

He let go of Shion with a fierce jerk. Shion looked into Satoshi's eyes, hoping to find _some_ sign of forgiveness in them. But those same eyes that had looked at her with love just a few weeks ago...the same eyes that had waited for her to be ready...were gone. Now, they were replaced by a look of sheer anger.

Satoko was innocent. She had done nothing wrong...

"I can't stay here," said Shion out loud. "I can't stay here anymore!"

She ran past Satoshi and Satoko and out the door, leaving the two in something of a daze. Satoko took one look at the bear's remains lying on the ground and started crying. Satoshi held her and said gently, "It's okay, Satoko. I'm very proud of you for standing up for yourself. This bear may be torn up, but it can still be put back together."

Could the same be said for Shion's relationship with Satoshi and Satoko?


	19. Chapter 19

19

_Living at different paces_

_Evading into various spaces_

_My compass has broken_

_I'm losing the way_

_An ongoing madness has led me astray_

_--Epica, Solitary Ground_

* * *

Faster and faster she ran. She ran blindly, not caring where she was going or where she would stop. She just cared about getting away as fast as she possibly could...getting away from everything that had gone wrong...

_Everything was so perfect,_ Shion thought, the resounding splashes echoing behind her. _Why did I do that? Why did I have to tell Satoko about what I did to her in those other worlds? Why did I have to tear up that bear, that bear that was a symbol Satoshi-kun had returned to us?_

Shion was shocked into stopping by the splash of muddy water showering her from a nearby truck passing by. She stumbled through the rain, no longer able to tell the difference between the raindrops that had fallen onto her face, and the teardrops of regret pouring down her cheeks. Finally, she fell to her knees and sobbed.

"It's my fault," she sobbed. "Everything is my fault. Satoshi-kun and I would have been just fine if only...if only I hadn't..."

She clutched the nearby lamppost and hugged it tightly as though it were her beloved Satoshi-kun. Things would never get better. How could she have fooled herself into thinking they would? Satoshi would _never_ forgive her _now..._oh, _why_ didn't she remember how much he cared for his sister?

"Why?" sobbed Shion. _"Why?_ Satoshi-kun, _why?!?"_

Shion thought about picking herself back up and ending it all now—perhaps she could jump in front of the next car that came her way, or she could even keep walking until she found a bridge to toss herself from. But she couldn't bring herself to just walk away...not to a fate of happiness, or a fate of sorrow...she had to stay here for just a few more minutes, in spite of the fact that the rain was pouring even harder now, in spite of the cold weather.

"Shion-chan."

Shion looked up to see Rika standing above her. Rika...did she know? Shion looked away in shame.

"I see," said Rika. "The Hinamizawa syndrome has gotten the better of you, hasn't it?"

Shion nodded. "Satoshi-kun will never forgive me," she said softly.

"Well now, I don't know about _that,"_ said Rika, stretching out a hand. "He may be angry with you, but he will eventually forgive you. I don't know what exactly happened, so I cannot help you. Please, take my hand."

Shion looked at Rika's hand reluctantly. She looked back into Rika's face. Rika now looked much more gentle and welcoming. She slipped her hand into Rika's and, with help, got back up on her feet.

"Come with me," said Rika. "I'll take you to Dr. Irie to get you treated. My errands can wait a little while longer. While there, we'll discuss what happened."

* * *

Shion gently brought the steaming hot cup of soup to her lips. When she came in through the doors to the clinic, Dr. Irie seemed to have instantly figured out what had happened. He gave her words of comfort while preparing her for the various tests, the results of which were due to come back any minute now. For now, Shion was sitting in his office on the examining table, wrapped up in a warm, cozy blanket, drinking a cup of soup he had prepared for her to drink. Rika was sitting in a chair across from her, taking in everything she had just been told.

"I hope you feel better now," Rika finally spoke. "When the results come back, you can get properly treated."

"Yeah, but I don't think Satoshi's going to forget what I did," said Shion, her eyes glued to the floor.

"Now, Shion-chan," said Rika gently, "stop beating yourself up. People have done _far_ worse to Satoko."

"I still shouldn't have done it," said Shion softly, tears welling up in her eyes. "That bear might never be fixed again."

"Oh, with a bit of sewing work, it could be put back together," said Rika.

"Even if Satoshi-kun forgives me," Shion went on, "will _Satoko_ forgive me? She knows, Rika. I told her what I did to her in that other world, and I said I'd do it again...but I didn't really _mean _that at all..."

"I'm sure Satoko knows that," said Rika, who stood up from her chair. "I don't think she truly knew what you were talking about, anyway. She probably just thought you were talking about a dream you had." She walked over and sat on the table next to Shion. "Shion...treating the symptoms won't necessarily cure the fever, or source out the cause of the fever. I'm thinking that even if you get the cure, you'll still have a difficult time dealing with your guilt over what you did in that other world."

"Why did I have to do that?" said Shion, her voice cracking up. "Why did I have to kill all those people? All I had to do was just ask Dr. Irie if he knew anything—I should've asked in the first place anyway, since he was Satoshi's coach. Then I would've found out the truth and everything would be okay."

"But in your blind rage, you thought the Sonozaki family was primarily responsible for Satoshi's disappearance," said Rika. "And so it didn't occur to you to ask Dr. Irie."

"Satoko..." whispered Shion, who could hear Satoko's cries of pain even now.

"Satoko was related to Satoshi, and you thought she had been involved," explained Rika. "You thought it was her fault Satoshi disappeared. Shion, let me ask you something...did your suspicions come primarily out of your own resentment towards your family?"

Shion nodded. "They all viewed me as a burden," she said softly. "I wasn't _supposed_ to be born, _or_ alive. It was supposed to be _just_ Mion. I was a mistake. And they treated me as such. I could _never_ go out to any family occasion—I always had to stay home with Kasai. If they had any guests over, I had to stay in my room. And when they sent me away to boarding school, none of them even bothered to say goodbye."

"But your mother _did_ care about you," said Rika, placing a hand on Shion's shoulder. "She just never showed it until recently, isn't that right?"

Shion wondered how Rika knew, but she nodded.

"And your grandmother..."

"I didn't think I would feel so bad for her after the way she's kept me isolated from my family," said Shion, still looking at the floor. "But I do. I don't know why, I just...do."

"It's compassion," said Rika, wrapping one arm around Shion. "It's part of human nature to feel even a smidgen of compassion. I don't think you've had a chance to really talk to her, have you? Well...I think the two of you should eventually talk. Then you can truly conquer your inner demons."

When the look on Shion's face still did not change, Rika said, "Did Mion ever tell you about that accident I was in just a few months after defeating Takano?"

"A little bit of it," muttered Shion. "She said you were out for a while."

"Well," said Rika, "something truly insane happened during that time...I woke up in another world. I woke up in a Hinamizawa without the tragedy in our lives. In this world, Keiichi never snapped under pressure, Rena's parents never divorced and she was still 'Reina', my parents were still alive," Rika's voice seemed to stumble ever so slightly at this, but she went on, "Dr. Irie wasn't in charge of the local clinic, you were on civil terms with your family, Satoko never killed her parents, Satoshi never disappeared, and in what I consider to be one of the biggest differences of all, the dam construction conflict was resolved peacefully. As a result, the Houjou's were never branded outcasts."

"Sounds wonderful," muttered Shion.

"In truth," said Rika, "I found that world to be much more painful than the one we are in now. To this day, I will never know if it really happened, or if it was a dream Hanyuu gave me to make me more thankful of what I took advantage of, but this I do know—the suffering everyone went through just made them work harder, made them more understanding, and overall made them better _people_ because of it. Rena told me it wouldn't have mattered no matter which world I chose, that no matter what I would've been better off, but I think this is the world we're better off in. After all, if it weren't for you breaking out of school, you would've never met Satoshi, right?"

For the first time in several minutes, Shion began to look up and into Rika's eyes, which were full of wisdom and truth. "If it weren't for what happened when Keiichi crumbled under pressure," said Rika, "his family would've never moved to Hinamizawa, and he would've never met Mion. And if Rena's parents were still together, she might never have met Kiyoshi. So the way I see it, everything ultimately does work out for the best. You may be suffering a great deal right now, but I promise you, Shion, you _will_ gain wisdom and experience from what you are going through. You learned in that other world to take care of Satoko, and so you have. Think of this as like that—you will learn. You will grow. And most of all, you will survive."

Shion began to feel a slight glimmer of hope at these words. "Maybe you're right," she said. "Maybe, after I get vaccinated, we can go back to your house and I'll apologize to Satoshi-kun and Satoko. Then maybe we can somehow make everything all right again."

Just as she finished talking, the door opened and in came Dr. Irie with his clipboard. The look on his face was indescribable. Was that a good thing or a bad thing?

"Well, Shion, your results have come back," said Dr. Irie. "And you do indeed have Hinamizawa syndrome—you are just in the end stage of level three. As you know, there is a vaccine for it, so do not worry. Just fill out some of these forms, and we can get started."

Shion let out a sigh of relief. At last, now she knew for sure what was wrong with her, and would be getting treated for it. Maybe after _this,_ everything would go back to normal.

"However," said Dr. Irie, "something else came up on the tests. Something that I thought I should tell you about now before you fill anything out—something that may affect the type of vaccine you'll need."

"What came up?" asked Shion. "I don't have anything else, do I?"

Dr. Irie smiled faintly. "You're pregnant, Shion."


	20. Chapter 20

20

The only sound that could be heard was that of the clock ticking. Shion said quietly, "I'm pregnant?"

"Yes," nodded Dr. Irie. "You should be around six or eight weeks along, depending on your menstrual cycle, but you can give me the details a bit later."

Shion was too stunned to really react to this news. Pregnant? _Her?_ But...she and Satoshi _had_ used protection that night, right? Wait...no, they hadn't...they were blinded by their love and got caught up in the heat of the moment. And there had been _consequences_ from that moment...

"Will the cure affect her child, Dr. Irie?" asked Rika.

"It shouldn't," said Dr. Irie. "In fact, it might actually _help_ it because the syndrome was detected early enough. With any luck, it shouldn't spread down to the baby."

_Baby..._

"Here are your inoculation forms," said Dr. Irie, handing the clipboard over to Shion and giving her a pen. "Just check the boxes as applied."

Shion checked off each box that applied to her, still in a bit of a daze. A baby...she and Satoshi...they were going to have...a _baby..._

* * *

Shion was still in this daze as she received the cure nearly half an hour later. She didn't even feel the prick of the needle. A baby...this was...incredible. After everything that had gone wrong, there would finally be something that would go _right._

But would Satoshi be willing to support her? What about her family? How would _they_ react to learn that not only was Shion pregnant out of wedlock, she was pregnant by a _Houjou?_

"Shion?"

Shion snapped out of her daze at the sound of Dr. Irie's voice. "If you like," he said, "you could have an ultrasound right here in the clinic."

Shion shook her head. "Thanks for the offer," she said, "but I think I would rather have it done with Satoshi here. So he can see."

"Understandable, perfectly understandable," said Dr. Irie, smiling.

_The question is,_ thought Shion, _will Satoshi WANT to be here?_

* * *

"You're sure that's the last of the items you need, Rika?" said Shion as she and Rika walked home with their bags in hand, Shion carrying a lighter load. The rain had lessened up and now, there was only a soft drizzle as they made their way down the path to Rika's home.

"That will do for now," said Rika. "What's important right now is getting home to tell the news to Satoshi." She looked over at Shion. "I would assume you're keeping it?"

Shion nodded.

"With or without Satoshi?" said Rika.

"With or without Satoshi," repeated Shion, but she didn't sound very confident when she said this. She swallowed a lump in her throat and said, "He wouldn't abandon someone who was carrying his child, would he?"

"Oh, I don't think it would be very in-character for Satoshi to abandon anyone," said Rika nonchalantly. "But I do think you should get help with your problems before you end up taking them out on the baby, like with Satoko. How about we set aside some time once a week to talk?"

"That sounds nice," said Shion. She stopped. "We're just about there. Rika...do you think you could go first? Just to see how everything is?"

"I will," said Rika, who took Shion's groceries in her hands. "But you will have to come inside eventually."

Shion stayed behind and watched from a distance, hiding behind a tree. She saw Rika knocking on the door, waiting for a few seconds before the door opened. There stood Satoko, who _looked_ happy...but was she really just putting on a happy face for Rika's sake so she wouldn't see her sadness?

Shion wasn't sure just what exactly possessed her to do so, but she crept quietly down the path, overhearing bits and pieces of what was being said: "...I was playing with the bear a little rough and he got ripped up, so..."

If Satoko was changing the story to _defend_ her...did that mean all was forgiven?

"I know what happened, Satoko," said Rika. "And it's okay."

Rika had just gone inside when Shion came in her place. She looked into Satoko's eyes, which were full of concern, causing Shion to look away in shame. "Satoko," she said, "I am so sorry."

Shion was caught off-guard when Satoko wrapped her arms around her and pulled her in for a hug. She was even more shocked when Satoko said, "No matter what, you're still my nee-nee."

Relieved to be forgiven, Shion returned the hug even tighter. Never again would she take such a beautiful relationship for granted..._never..._

The two young women separated. Satoko smiled. "Come on in," she said. "We're just putting the bear back together. You want to help?"

Shion swallowed another lump in her throat and nodded. "Sure," she said. _Satoko,_ she thought, _you're going to be an aunt and you don't even know it. Would now be the right time to tell you, or is it too soon?_

Shion took a few steps indoors. Satoko led her by the hand to the living room, where Satoshi sat in a chair, sewing the bear's arms backs together. He looked up and saw Shion, who could feel her knees turning to jelly. She asked herself the same question in her mind—was it too soon to tell Satoshi they were about to start a family together? Or should she tell as soon as possible to avoid being accused of keeping secrets?

"Satoshi-kun..." Shion began, but Satoshi only raised a hand and said, "We'll talk later. For now, just help repairing what you left behind."

* * *

The atmosphere had lightened up considerably within ten minutes. By then, everyone was pitching in to sew the bear back together. The bear would never look the exact same as before, but genuine hard work was being done to keep it from falling apart once again.

"After I calmed down, I figured you might have had the syndrome," said Satoshi, handing Shion two buttons to sew on for the bear's eyes. "I'm glad to hear you got the cure."

"Believe me, I'm glad I did, too," said Shion, using careful needlework to sew the eyes back into place. "I should've gotten tested sooner, but it kept slipping my mind. I'd just get so _busy_ and not have any time to _think."_

Satoshi looked over at Shion. "I hope you understand _why_ I don't allow _anyone_ to hit Satoko," he said solemnly. "She's been through enough already."

"I understand, and I'm sorry," said Shion, sewing the second eye into place. "It didn't even _occur_ to me about how much she went through."

"Hey, he's looking more like a bear again," said Rika. "Nipah!"

"Yeah, he does," said Satoko, sewing the last stitch for the torn-up paw into place. Then, "Shion...when you were talking about killing me in another world...you were just talking about a crazy dream you had, right?"

Shion replied, "Yeah, it was all just a dream. A really sad, intense dream." She looked at both Satoshi and Satoko. "But I'm glad it didn't _really_ happen. I'm glad to have the two people I love in front of me."

"Doesn't Rika-chan count?" piped up Rika.

Shion laughed, "Yes, Rika-chan counts." She put aside the sewing needle. The bear was just about sewn back together. It just needed one more thing...

"Here's the flower," said Satoko, picking up the stamped up flower from the bear's paw. Shion took it from Satoko's hands and gently smoothed it out before placing it right in between the pear's left paw.

"There," she said. "Now it's back together." She gave it to Rika, and the two shared a knowing smile. As Rika went off to place the bear on the window sill, Satoko said, "I hope we can become just like a real family."

Shion hesitated. This moment right here...was so beautiful...would telling them ruin it or strengthen it? "Actually," she said, "we just might become a real family. In fact...in just a matter of months, you'll be getting a niece or nephew."

Shion turned to Satoshi. She placed her hand on the one area she felt knots: Her stomach. "I'm pregnant," she said softly.

Shion could not read the expressions on either one of their faces. She closed her eyes, waiting for a response. Instead, she heard the phone ring. Rika said she would be getting it and walked off, leaving the silent three alone.

Shion opened her eyes and looked into Satoshi's. "Satoshi-kun," she said, "I'm so sorry."

Satoshi opened his mouth as if to speak...then placed one of his hands on Shion's stomach, entwining his hand with hers, which said everything that needed to be said between them. The two shared a hug, happy to be together once again.

"Does this mean you're getting married?" spoke Satoko.

Satoshi and Shion separated and looked each other in the eye. "I'd think so," said Satoshi, grinning. "Shion, can you wait until I can propose to you properly?"

"Satoshi-kun," said Shion, her eyes brimming with tears, "I've always been waiting for you!"

The sweet, tender moment was interrupted by the frantic footsteps of Rika. "Shion-chan," she said urgently, "that was Mion. Your grandmother collapsed just a couple minutes ago!"

"What?" said Shion, standing up. She had a sinking feeling as to what _that_ meant...

"She's _not_ going to pull through this time," said Rika with a look of sadness in her eyes. "Mion said the doctor told her that she only has a few hours or so left to live. She wanted to know if you could come over to say goodbye."

_Grandma...she doesn't know..._

Shion turned to Satoshi. "Satoshi-kun," she said, "I have to go now. We'll talk about this later, okay?"

Satoshi gave Shion a tight hug. "Take as long as you need, Shion-chan," he said before they separated.

Shion smiled at the three of them and went off to grab her coat. She had one last chance to make things _right_ with her grandmother...and she was not going to miss that chance.


	21. Chapter 21

21

When Shion arrived fifteen minutes later, she found her mother standing outside Oryou's bedroom door with her face buried in her hands. "Mom?"

Her mother looked up at the sound of her daughter's voice. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. "Shion," she said softly. She gave Shion a tight hug and said, "Thank goodness you're here. Your grandmother doesn't have very long."

"I know," nodded Shion. "Mion told me. That's why I came." Then, "So, were you just in there?"

"Yes," nodded Akane. "I was burying the hatchet between us. There was a time when we eventually started talking again...but it wasn't _officially_ resolved. Just now...I took the time to tell her how sorry I was that I hurt her by marrying a man against her wishes. I told her I didn't want her to go to the grave without ever resolving the resentment we held towards each other over the years. Anyway...Mion's in there now, with Tenchi."

There was a soft rumble of thunder from just outside. The storm had yet to end, but was just about over. "May I go in?" asked Shion.

"Of course," said Akane. "How about we go in together? Then she can have her family by her side when..."

She didn't finish, but Shion knew what she meant. Akane gently opened the door and the two women walked in. Oryou lay in bed with a sleeping Tenchi in her arms. Mion stood just above her, looking as though she were willing herself not to cry.

"I'm sorry you didn't get to hold him an awful lot," said Mion, her voice breaking up. "I...I should've let you hold him more often, but..."

"But nothing," said Oryou firmly. "The baby needed his rest." Then, "You can take him back now."

"Are...are you sure?" said Mion. Now she couldn't hold back the tears.

"He needs his rest," said Oryou calmly. "A little bit of time with him is better than no time at all."

It was all Mion could do to stifle a sob as Oryou handed her son back to her. "Don't cry," said Oryou. "You will upset the baby."

Shion could hardly believe this sight. Here was Oryou on her deathbed, and she still managed to look on the bright side and think of the baby. What would she think if she were to tell her?

Oryou looked up and saw Shion and Akane standing there. Shion nervously took a few steps forward. "Hi," she said. "Um...Mion called a couple minutes ago. She said you were dying?"

"That I am," said Oryou coolly. "Sit."

Shion sat down in the chair next to the bed. She fidgeted with her hands, not knowing what to say. "Well, um," she began, "I...I'd just like to say..."

"Say what?" snapped Oryou. "Speak up, child!"

"I..." Shion gulped and said, "I don't want there to be this animosity between us anymore. I don't want you to die _hating_ me, grandma. I know I was never your favourite...and probably never _will_ be...but I want us to clear the air before...before it's too late."

"Ah," said Oryou. "So you want to "clear the air", hmm? What do you mean by that, exactly? What is it you want to 'clear up'?"

Shion rubbed one ankle against the other. "Everything."

"But there must be something specific," said Oryou, her eyes narrowing. "What is it?"

Shion felt as though Oryou could see right through her stomach and see the baby. She said, "Well, uh...I'm sorry for disrespecting you in the past...and for running away from school..."

"You apologized for that when you did your distinction," said Oryou calmly. "There's something else, isn't there?"

"I guess," said Shion slowly. She cleared her throat. "Well...I understand you've only had our family name in mind, and that you did what you did for the sake of our family. So that if anything was to happen to the village, people could trust us and take us seriously. And they did...during the dam conflict."

"It's about that Houjou boy, isn't it?" sighed Oryou.

Shion froze, then sighed and relaxed. "Yes, it is," she admitted. "I want your blessing. I don't want to go around thinking that being with Satoshi isn't okay because you're dead and can't do anything about it. I was telling the truth that day I did my distinction when I said I loved him. We're still in love today. In fact..."

Shion lightly placed one hand on her stomach and said, "Satoshi and I are going to have a baby."

Her mother and sister gasped slightly, but Oryou had no reaction. Shion took this as a sign to go on: "We're going to start a _family_ together, grandma. And I can't feel easy about that until I get your blessing, so please, _please_ understand that all I want is for you to see where I'm coming from, to say that it's okay so I don't feel that somehow, I'm disrespecting the dead."

Shion held her breath, waiting for Oryou's reply. How would she react now that she knew Shion was carrying Satoshi's child? That a Sonozaki was carrying the child of a Houjou? Was she angry? Would she be too weak to react?

Oryou finally spoke: "So...another great-grandchild I won't live to see."

"Mother," Akane began, but Oryou held up a hand and spoke: "There is no use in having any sort of feeling—good or bad—to something I will never get to see. So I might as well not feel anything. However," she looked into Shion's trembling emerald eyes, "I will say this much...I don't think Mion or I ever got around to telling you this, but...as a result of your 'distinction', I decided to forgive...and forget...everything. I told the other village leaders that because you were willing to do the distinction...because you tore out your fingernails...I was willing to bless the relationship and let you be happy. I told them we should let go of a long-held grudge against the Houjou's."

She sighed and shook her head sadly. "But it did not take with _everyone._ So...so I put up a piece of land for sale, in hopes that if there were more outsiders...then your relationship with Satoshi...were he to return...would be accepted by the village."

"Grandma," whispered Shion, tears coming to her eyes. She remembered Mion's words in that world...she had been telling the truth after all. But she had _never_ anticipated _this._ "I'm sorry!"

"Don't be," said Oryou firmly, taking her hand in Shion's. "_I'm_ giving you the blessing to be with Houjou Satoshi, so _take it._ Don't hold yourself back because of _anything_ that may have happened in the past. It's over, it's done with, now _go_ and be happy."

These were her last words. The three women stayed by Oryou's side in silence until, finally, the hand Shion held went limp and the atmosphere grew solemn. Mion finally said, "Well, I...I guess I'd better go make the funeral arrangements...now that I'm head of the family."

Trying to keep herself calm and composed, she handed Tenchi over to Akane and said, "Here, mom. Put Tenchi back in his crib. He's sleeping peacefully now, so..."

"Mion," said Akane gently. "Don't feel pressured to get to it right away. If you need to give yourself some time..."

"I've got to do it, mom," said Mion, her voice cracking.

Shion let go of Oryou's hand and stood up, glancing down at this now dead woman before following Mion out of the room. Oryou was now dead...but had finally given Shion the blessing she had been waiting seven years for.

* * *

After making the arrangements, Mion and Shion sat outdoors in the grass, thinking about everything that had happened this day.

"So the funeral is on Friday," said Mion, now a bit more composed. "You can come...if you want. Now that everything's okay and you're going to have a baby..." She gasped when Shion's words sank in. "You're going to have a baby!"

Mion leaned over and gave Shion a tight hug. Shion had figured Mion at least would be accepting of the news. She wasn't sure how her mother felt...she was relieved to know Oryou had chosen not to feel angry over it...or happy, either...

Mion separated and lightly touched Shion's stomach. "You're really having a baby," she whispered.

"Uh, yeah!" said Shion, laughing nervously, then feeling guilty over laughing after someone close to her had just died.

Mion didn't seem to mind: "When you did you find out?"

"An hour before you called me over," replied Shion. "Satoshi-kun accepts it. He says that when he can propose to me properly, he'll marry me."

Mion's eyes shined over with tears. "So much has happened in one night," she said softly. "You're having a baby, and you might be marrying Satoshi...and grandma's gone..."

Mion broke down sobbing. Shion held her close and thought, _Yes...a lot has happened in one night. A lot that might determine if Satoshi and I will ever end up together._


	22. Chapter 22

22

Shion smoothed out the front of her black dress and took a good look at herself in the mirror. She hadn't had time to think about the baby, or her future with Satoshi. Over the past week, she was busy getting prepared for Oryou's funeral. The day had finally arrived and now, her biggest concern was if she was beginning to show or not.

Shion lightly ran her fingertips over her stomach. Dr. Irie had said she still had some time before showing, but she could not ease her concern over how to conduct herself at Oryou's funeral. The elders would be there, but what would _they_ think if they knew? Shion still wasn't sure just when exactly she would marry Satoshi. She didn't want it to be _too_ soon, yet she wanted it to be soon enough that she could easily pass off the lie that, like Mion, her child had also been conceived on the honeymoon.

It made her wonder for a minute...then she shook it off. No, Mion and Keiichi both appeared genuinely shocked that day; besides, at the time Mion found out, she would've been showing by just a little bit had the child been conceived before the honeymoon.

There was a knock on the door. Knowing it was Kasai, Shion said, "Come in."

The door opened and sure enough, in came Kasai, who was also decked out in all black. Shion turned to face him. She had told him the news when she came home the night Oryou died, but Kasai only said he had known all along, having figured it out when he saw she had yet to open the packages for her feminine supplies. Shion wondered why _she_ couldn't have reached that conclusion sooner. Neither of them talked about it, but it was clear Kasai did not entirely approve.

"We're just about ready to leave," he said. "But your parents are here. They want to talk to you about something first."

Shion had a sinking feeling as to what it was they wanted to talk about. She said, "Tell them I'll be there in a minute."

Kasai only gave her a curt nod and closed the door. Shion sighed and sat down on the bed, smoothing out her black stockings. _I knew they'd have something to say about it sooner or later,_ she thought. _Mom probably told dad already. She never said anything about it the night grandma died...but that was just because she had too much on her mind. Now, she has probably had enough time to think._

* * *

Shion sat down on the couch just across from her parents, who each sat on the other couch next to each other. She sat up straight and tried to look them in the eye, but failed each time, not wanting to see if they were looking at her with pride and joy, or shame and disgust.

"So," said Shion, "Mion's the head of the family now. I'm sure she'll do a pretty good job."

"Shion," spoke Saburou, "your mother and I would like to have a talk with you...about the baby you're having with Satoshi."

Shion drew in a breath. She had known she could not dodge this eventually; sooner or later, she would _have_ to face her parents about it. She said, "Dad, Satoshi loves me and—"

She knew she was going to hear _that_ lecture, but it still stung to hear her father interrupt, "How could you? How could you be so irresponsible and not think of the consequences of your actions? Here you are, barely out of school with a part-time job, and now you're pregnant with no husband."

"It's not because I'm pregnant by a Houjou, is it?" said Shion, bringing herself to look her parents in the eye. "Grandma said everything was okay. She gave it her blessing; I can have Satoshi-kun's baby if I want to, right?"

"Shion," sighed Akane, shaking her head, "your whole life is about to change drastically, and you don't even realize it. How do you know for certain Satoshi really is going to be there for you, huh? How do you know he's not going to leave you?"

"Because I already told him," said Shion. "And when I did, he promised to marry me."

"Promises, promises," scoffed Akane. "You really know for certain he's going to follow through on that promise?"

"I _know_ he is, mom!" cried out Shion. "It's his baby, too! He just _wouldn't_ abandon _anyone_ having his baby! He just _wouldn't!"_

Akane and Saburou exchanged a glance before looking back over at Shion. "And if he _doesn't_ marry you and just leaves you standing at the altar, what will you do then?" asked Akane.

"I'll still have the baby and keep it," said Shion, trying not to show the signs of uneasiness in her voice. "I can do this with or without Satoshi. But he _will_ be there. I just _know_ he will be. I'll still wait for him, no matter how long it takes. If I could wait seven years for him to come back, I can wait another seven. Because he _did_ come back. And I _know_ he's here to stay."

"Shion," Akane began, but Saburou said, "Let her see what she wishes to see, Akane. Now, we have to go to a funeral."

* * *

Shion's mind was not with her during the funeral. She kept thinking about her parents' words: _"Here you are, barely out of school with a part-time job, and now you're pregnant with no husband."_

Their tone had started out disappointed and ended with concern that Satoshi would not follow through with his promise. They didn't sound _mad;_ they just sounded both disappointed and worried. Shion told herself she had nothing to worry about, that her parents were just being overcautious...but she could not shake their words out of her mind.

She stood in front of the temple, a few feet away from Mion, who stood at the front of the line. One by one, each family member, in order of hierarchal position, would step forward and offer incense to the priest, just ahead of the visitors, the village elders and an assortment of villagers.

Shion accordingly stood just in front of the first visitor, behind Mion, ahead of her father and mother. The order of position was indeed...peculiar...considering that an outsider and two other family members were disinherited. Her existence had been mostly frowned upon, yet here she was about to honour the memory of the woman who had great disproval over her existence the most. She had come to learn that Oryou had not been all that hard...she _had_ given the relationship her blessing, after all.

Yet a part of Shion could not forget the mistreatment she had endured at Oryou's hands. She could not forget hearing of how she was supposed to have died at birth, how Oryou had done whatever she could to make sure Shion was kept away from family meetings or public family services, or how she had to go through her 'distinction'.

But at the same time, Shion thought of the woman Oryou had become towards the end of her life...she still had a razor-sharp edge, but she had grown softer upon the realization she might not live to see her first great-grandchild. She had held her tongue in Satoshi's presence, not daring to speak out about the growing relationship between him and her granddaughter. And she had made amends in her last moments.

Shion realized with a start that it was now her turn to step forward. She felt the eyes of the others in line prick into the back of her neck. She placed her rosary in her sweaty palms and bowed. She walked up to the urn containing the burning incense. The smell was overwhelming to her heightened senses; she worried she was going to vomit right there in the altar, that it would cause the village elders to figure out she was pregnant, and thus figure out who the father was.

The very second she had given her incense offering, she walked quickly to her seat and sat down next to Mion, who remembered the nausea brought upon by the slightest smells from her own pregnancy. "Are you okay?" she whispered.

Shion nodded and placed one hand on her face, hoping she could use this hand to subtly cover up either her nose or her mouth.

"It'll be over soon," said Mion, gently squeezing Shion's hand.

Shion closed her eyes and tried not to inhale the scent of the burning incense. She would hate to be sick in front of everyone.

* * *

After the service was over, Shion made her way to the junkyard. She did not understand _why_, but tonight, she felt drawn to it. This had once been Rena's safe haven...a place she could go to if things ever got too hard for her to handle.

Shion walked up to the old trailer Rena used to camp out in. She couldn't believe it was still around after all these years. She sighed and leaned against it, running one hand through her hair. She felt worn-out but didn't feel like going home just yet. She allowed the rays of the setting sun to shine on her, making her feel more at peace than she had felt in a long, long time.

Shion's head turned at a sound. She saw the shadow of a person climbing through the mountain of trash towards her. Through the sunlight, he was barely distinguishable, but he soon came into full view.

"Satoshi-kun," whispered Shion softly, feeling a sudden wind causing her long, green hair to dance in the wind.

"So this is Rena's hiding place," said Satoshi, sliding down to Rena's trailer. "I can see why she likes this place—it's so calm and peaceful. There's no one to come and interrupt. It's just you and the world." He walked up to Shion. "How did the service go?"

"It went okay," said Shion. Then, "She blessed our relationship on her death bed."

"Oh," said Satoshi. "So, I guess that means us being together is okay then."

"Uh, yeah," said Shion awkwardly. Then, "My parents know about the baby and...well, they're not _mad,_ they're just..."

"Disappointed?" finished Satoshi.

Shion looked down. "Yeah. They think you won't really be there. They think you'll just abandon me and the baby." She looked into Satoshi's eyes. "Satoshi-kun, you wouldn't..."

Satoshi placed one finger on Shion's lips. "Shion-chan," he said, "give me the chance to prove your parents wrong." He got down on one knee and pulled out a tiny little box. He opened it...and it revealed a small, diamond ring. It wasn't extravagant or glorious, but it was beautiful enough. "Shion," he said, "will you marry me?"

Shion's knees turned to jelly. She fell to the ground and wrapped her arms around Satoshi crying out, "Satoshi-kun, _yes!_ I have waited too long to turn you down on this!"

The two shared a kiss of relief that at last, they had finally reached the stage they had been waiting for...a stage where at last, they were free to be together with no burden on their shoulders.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry I haven't been updating for a while; as those who are also fans of Umineko can guess, I've been busy with another fanfic...namely "Turn of the Endless Sorcerer" (shameless advertising, lol). For the first time, I experienced the real feeling of writing on a deadline (in this case, December 30). I wanted to get that story finished before "Dawn of the Golden Witch" was released so that I could still use any theories crucial to my story and not have them shot down.**

**The other reason is that I'm just not entirely satisfied with this chapter. It's one of those chapters where I read and re-read, reason with myself that it is perfectly fine and that my readers would enjoy it, and yet STILL feel it's not as strong as the other chapters. It's a chapter that needs no editing, yet it still FEELS that it needs editing. That sort of effect comes after writing chapters I am proud of personally. Authors have a tendency to hold a higher standard to their own work than their fans or critics (unless we're talking about Stephanie Meyer). Ever had that feeling?**

**Oh, and the story's not over yet, in case you were wondering; we still have a few chapters left to go.**


	23. Epilogue

Epilogue

_July 11, 1990_

Shion lay in the hospital bed, holding her and Satoshi's newborn daughter in her arms. She smiled at the sleeping infant, so tiny and beautiful. She had a head full of blonde hair and a bright red face. She resembled her father already.

"Isn't she beautiful, Satoshi-kun?" she whispered.

Satoshi had been a bit afraid of Shion only a few hours ago. An eighteen-hour labour did _not_ leave her in a very pleasant mood, especially when the time came for the actual birth itself. An hour had passed since their daughter's birth, so he supposed it might be safe to reply: "She sure is."

He stood just above the bed and smiled at the baby's face. "I'm glad we managed to make everything work out."

Shion lightly kissed the baby on the forehead. Not long after her marriage to Satoshi, she had moved in to live with him, Rika, and Satoko. When she was about five months along, they finally found a place of their own to live—a small house that would still be big enough to support a family. Satoshi still worked at the toy store. Shion was beginning to seriously consider catering weddings after all. But she resolved to get started on this a couple months after the baby's birth.

For now, she would just settle down.

* * *

"Just a few more steps up," said Mion as she and Keiichi walked up the stairs to the second floor of the hospital, carrying an alert Tenchi around in his carrier.

"Do you think Shion will be up for our visit?" asked Keiichi. "I remember you were kind of beat after Tenchi was born."

"Yeah, but I still wanted Shion there to see him," said Mion. She noticed Tenchi was looking out one of the windows and cooed, "Yes, Tenchi, look out the window at the pretty sun."

Keiichi smiled. "I remember Shion and Satoshi looked pretty happy at their wedding together. I hope their marriage is still going strong."

"After all they've been through together," said Mion, continuing up the stairs, "I don't think anything's ever going to tear them apart."

* * *

"You're sure you want to give this bear to the baby?" asked Rena as she helped Satoko carry the bear into the hospital.

"Absolutely," said Satoko. "I want my niece to have it. It'll watch over her and protect her."

"Ah, it'll be her 'nii-nii'?" said Rena, ignoring the funny looks the two young women were getting from the people in the waiting room.

"Well, if you prefer to think of it _that_ way, then yeah," said Satoko as they headed for the stairs. They adjusted the bear in a position so that Satoko could walk up the stairs holding one end while Rena walked up holding the opposite end just behind her.

"So how are the twins?" asked Satoko.

"They're doing just great," said Rena, smiling. "Hana's already walking and babbling. And Yuri said her first word a while ago, I forgot to tell you."

"Really?" said Satoko, beginning to head up the stairs. "What was it?"

"Oh wait, where's Rika?" asked Rena, suddenly stopping.

"Rika said she'd be here in a few minutes," said Satoko. "She's just finishing up on some homework. So what _was_ Yuri's first word, anyway?"

Rena smiled proudly. "Her first word was 'lies'."

* * *

Rika stood just outside the door to Shion's room. The halls were relatively quiet, with little activity taking place. This gave her the perfect opportunity to speak to Hanyuu: "We did it, Hanyuu. We saved Shion from the same fate as Takano."

"Hau, do you really think so?" whispered Hanyuu.

Rika nodded. "She will always have her issues with her family, but she now has the strength to make peace with them. She has come to terms with, and accepted, her guilt over her actions in those other worlds. She has a bright future ahead of her—she is married to the love of her life, and has a child with him. Come, Hanyuu. Let us visit them and give them our blessing."

* * *

Shion looked up when she heard the door open. In came Keiichi, Mion, Rena, Rika, and Satoko. Mion was carrying Tenchi in his baby carrier.

"I'm glad to see you all came," said Satoshi. "This wasn't too much of an inconvenience for you?"

"Hey, we're coming to see our old friends and their baby," said Keiichi, taking a seat. "It's not an inconvenience at all!"

"Kiyoshi said he'd look after the twins," said Rena, walking over to the bed. "They're a year old now, can you believe it?" She gasped upon seeing the baby, "She's _soooo_ cute!"

"Sorry Rena, you can't take her home," said Shion jokingly.

"Aww," sighed Rena as the others laughed.

Satoko gently stroked the cheeks of her sleeping niece. "She _is_ beautiful isn't she? What are you naming her?"

Before Shion or Satoshi could reply, Akane and Saburou came rushing in. "Sorry I couldn't come earlier," apologized Saburou. "I had to help Kasai take care of some, ah...business...regarding his girlfriend. They should now be in..."

He stopped at the sight of the baby. Akane said, "So...this is the baby."

"Yes," nodded Shion. "I...I kind of want some time with her before letting others hold her, if that's okay."

"Absolutely," said Akane, blinking back tears. "I was the same way with you and Mion."

"She's quite beautiful," said Saburou softly, in contrast to the sharp, harsh tone he had used with Shion in her first trimester. It had taken a bit of time for him and Akane to warm up to Satoshi, given recent events, but they were softening up on him, bit by bit.

"Does she have a name just yet?" asked Akane.

"Yes," said Shion. She smiled at the slowly stirring infant. "Her name is Suki. Houjou Suki."

"She's your beloved, eh?" said Saburou.

"Yes," said Satoshi, gently stroking a few wisps of blonde hair. "It became our top choice instantly."

It was only then that Shion noticed Satoko placing the bear down on one of the spare chairs. Part of her still couldn't look at the bear without feeling a twinge of guilt...but the other part was beginning to look at the bear as a symbol of the strengthened bond between her and Satoko.

"I'd like to give this bear as a present to Suki," said Satoko, smoothing the flower out in the bear's arm. The flower was still a bit wrinkled, but attractive nonetheless.

"Are you sure, Satoko?" said Satoshi. "You can still keep it if you want."

"No, it's okay," insisted Satoko. "When Suki is old enough, maybe we could tell her the story behind the bear. It'll contain a lot more significance that way."

"I should imagine it would be _quite_ the story," remarked Saburou.

"Ah, I can see it now," sighed Keiichi. "Boy meets girl, boy is out for a couple years, girl waits for boy, boy and girl are reunited and live happily ever after."

"I think it's a _bit_ more complex than that, Keiichi-kun," laughed Mion.

Shion's eyes met Rika's. "Yes, Mion," she said. "It's a _lot_ more complicated than that."

Rika smiled knowingly. "How long would Suki have to wait before hearing the entire story?"

"Oh, a couple years," sighed Shion. She looked over at Satoshi and said, "But with enough patience...with enough love and wanting...waiting is worth it."

She had waited seven years for love to come back to her.

She had waited another eleven months before finally marrying the love of her life.

She had waited for countless years before at last conquering her inner demons.

And in the end...the waiting had paid off.

**THE END**

_Credit song: __Dear You__ (vocal)_

_Quote: We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves—Dalai Lama_

* * *

**A/N: Ah, another sweet ending of a long journey...I always feel sad whenever I finish up a story I get attached to. Time always flies by in a flash. I remember working on the story idea almost immediately after finishing up the series, then building up on it as the weeks went by before publishing it...then discovering Umineko and getting side-tracked by a plot bunny that ensued, lol...**

**Oh, and in case anyone's wondering...yes, I did learn about the "permanent twin switch", and I considered bringing it into play a couple times, but I decided it really had no place in this story. It would just seem out-of-the-blue.**

**Special thanks goes to each of my reviewers, especially Shashuko the Paisley Maiden, and an especially touching review from Immortal x Snow and Lester Wilson. Everyone else, thank you for the support and you've been great.**

**One final note...earlier I said at the end of "Turn of the Endless Sorcerer" (shameless plug, lol) that I'd be taking a temporary hiatus from the site for a while after this fic was finished. Well...that was sort of kind of a big "USO DA". Plot bunnies have been on my mind recently, so I might or might not come back with another epic fanfic, so keep checking back or otherwise put me on "Author Alert"...especially if you're a fan of Umineko...(for now, expect various oneshots; anything serious might not come for another few weeks)**

**I'd still like to work on an original story idea of my own for Fiction Press, though, so that will be in store eventually.**


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